


Frozen Winter

by IlloustriousTaco



Series: Turn of the Seasons [1]
Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Apathy, Bring tissues, Creepy Pitch, F/M, Fearling!Jack, Fearlings, Hurt/Comfort, I Don't Even Know, Implied Mpreg, Implied Torture, M/M, Other, Slow Build, Suicidal Thoughts, What Was I Thinking?, almost noncon, bad Pitch, dubcon, irrational hate, lots of hurt/comfort, sorta - Freeform, therapy needed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-08
Updated: 2013-06-05
Packaged: 2017-12-10 18:35:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 38,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/788930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IlloustriousTaco/pseuds/IlloustriousTaco
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Pitch Black happened up on something wondrous, the birth of a new spirit, he knew he had to interfere. When he realized that this creature was the blood of his oldest nemesis, he knew he had to turn him into his Fearling Prince. And if he didn't quite get what he wanted... well, his new pet would still be quite useful against his ancient enemies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by at least four kinkmeme prompts that I don't even remember anymore... if any part of them is still recognizable in this hodgepodge, then cookies to whoever figures it out :3
> 
>  
> 
> Note, some pairings will take longer through the story to get to, but they should be well worth it by then?

The storm's that covered the greater part of the globe were not natural, not on Easter morning this late in the year. It didn't help that Aster had run his circuit the night before when he finished with his googies in order to find the best hiding places for them and there hadn't been even the barest hint of these storms brewing. He still had his job to do though, and aside from sending one of his googies to North with a message about these unnatural blizzards, but Aster had no idea what was causing these, but the if the weather patterns held true as the storm front’s moved then there would be some hellacious storms in the south within the next couple of days. 

There was no natural cause for this storm, but there was nothing Aster could do about that at the moment, he had his duty to the children first and foremost. Though if the shadow looming in the storm in front of him was any indication he might yet be able to take a few moments here and there to straighten things out. 

“Oy! You the bloke responsible for this dustup, or are you just bloody starkers being out in this crook weather?” Aster asked, cautiously approaching. When he was a few steps away from being able to put his hand on the figures shoulder, it turned, and the weather cleared just enough for Aster to finally make out the boy's features. Black and white, it was like the lad was stripped of all color, at least that was Aster's first impression. Upon looking closer he realized that assessment was wrong, the boy's eyes were just a very dark blue, not black as they had seemed at first. Everything else seemed accurate though, short white hair over pale almost greyish skin, and the fingertips gripping his staff looked frozen with frostbite, the skin blackened and cracked. The short cloak he wore could be doing nothing to protect him from the storm raging around him, yet he wasn't shivering, and his clothes were older and simpler, grey pants and some kind of simple off white shirt. He seemed darker than that somehow though, every shadow cast by a lock of hair or his clothes seeming darker than could possibly be natural, even in the watery light of this storm. 

The most unnerving thing about the boy though was the complete and total lack of expression on his face, and if he hadn't seen the boy turn Aster would have been certain that this was someone dead, frozen at the heart of the storm perhaps. But even as he watched the boy, and he was just a boy he couldn't be older than sixteen, stepped closer to him, and one of those frostbitten hands raised towards the Easter Bunny as if he intended to pet through soft fur. 

“Jokul!” The sharp word came from somewhere off to the side and both boy and bunny jerked appart, the boy's hand going back to join the other on his staff, and Aster's hands going to his boomerangs as the voice registered as Pitch Black. “Oh, should have expected to run into you.” Pitch stated, looming out of the shadows in the wind, even as Aster shivered, the boogeyman looked completely comfortable. “Good evening, Bunny... How are you doing this fine Easter Morning?” There was sarcasm and a perverse joy in his voice. 

“Pitch Black, what in the hell do you think you're doing you crook?!” Aster demanded, his voice nearly a growl of rage at realizing exactly who was messing with his holiday, though snow and ice were new, probably having to do with that Jokul character. 

“Why... having fun.” Pitch stated, fading in and out of the shadows in the storm, though the boy just stood there, still staring at Aster. “Do you like him? Isn't his power lovely, my Fearling Prince.” As the words left Pitch's mouth, something in Aster recoiled in horror as his eyes returned to that blank face and the dark shadows in it. “Jokul... why don't you show the Easter Bunny what you're capable of. Kill him.” 

There was a split moment, as if the expressionless lad was taking a moment to process the command before he jumped forward, staff swinging towards Aster faster than he could have thought that the boy could move. Aster didn't have thousands of years of military experience and Pookan reflexes for nothing though, and even during his own moment of shock his body was dodging, quite certain that letting the boy's staff touch him would be very bad. Especially if the ice coating the ground where the crook of the staff had just touched the ground was any indication. Pitch was laughing, but Aster couldn't focus on that, only on dodging and trying to attack the impossibly fast fearling creature that was now facing him. 

A fearling... they hadn't though that Pitch could create them anymore, it had been so long since these horrors had come to face anyone, though this boy didn't seem at all like the fearlings of old. “Now now, Bunny, I think we've had just about enough play time.” Pitch suddenly said, shadows rising up out of the ice around Aster and it was all that the pookan warrior could do to dodge that trap, though his shoulder slammed directly into the staff that the fearling was swinging towards him. Aster let out a pained scream as it felt like his arm had frozen solid, the muscle and joint stiffening as the fur froze with a thick coat of ice. 

Jokul seemed to pause then, but Aster didn't pay much attention to it, dodging another fierce shadow as he cursed a blue streak into the air. An ice sprite of some kind, Pitch had corrupted an ice sprite into his fearling prince, but where had he found one with so much power? Ice sprites just weren't this strong, not in the spring when their season was weakening and giving way to new life... 

Then Aster had no more time for thinking, no longer trying to fight he had to get away to warn the others, otherwise this would catch them by surprise as well. But both Pitch and his fearling were attacking him full out, and it was all he could do to avoid another quick freeze, but he ended up snared in shadows for his efforts. “Now Easter Bunny... you're mine.” Pitch was saying, and Aster growled his defiance, refusing to go down so easily, never to this creature. 

Then there was the sound of bells and bright scimitars forcing Pitch back even as shadows shattered in the blizzard air, and Tooth was helping him back to his shaky feet, only for him to dodge the swipe of a crook ended staff, pushing the fairy out of the way as Jokul came after him again. The sprite was persistant and it was all that Aster could do right now to stay ahead of him, but thankfully the fearling creature was slowing at a fair pace. The blizzard seemed to be winding down too, and it gave the Easter Bunny a flash of insight to what must be happening. The fearling creature was young, and though strong his strength was fading fast, perhaps faster than Pitch realized while he fought North and Sandy not far away. 

So Aster calculated and then acted, taking another blow from that danm staff in order to knock it out of the boy's hands and send it scittering across the street. There was still no expression on the boy's face as he looked up at Aster, his staff gone and his frostbitten hands empty in front of him. There was no pleading as Aster's powerful hind legs kicked him, sending him tumbling away in the oposite direction from his staff... but there was a cry of fierce pain as the blizzard abruptly ended, howling winds stilling immediately as the last few flakes of snow hovering in the air fell straight down. The clouds were still there, but the storm was well over. The boy was curled around himself clutching his gut and Aster knew he hadn't hit him there, in fact it hadn't been until after the boy had finished tumbling that he had cried out at all... 

Looking over, he saw Tooth holding the boy's staff, the relic broken clean in half in her hands and a fierce look on her face as she watched the fearling creature gasp. “Finish it off, Bunny.” She said, her voice nearly as chill as the storm had been, and you would have to have known her very well to hear the tremble in her voice. 

Aster nodded, knowing full well the pain she had suffered at the hands of Pitch Black and his Fearlings and why this new fearling couldn't be allowed to live. He had suffered similarily after all... But as he approached the gasping creature, and looked down at it, something in dark blue eyes made him hesitate, wondering who this had been before he had been corrupted into a fearling and if there was anything of that stranger left inside of him. Aster never got the chance to find out.. Howling in rage, Pitch's shadows flowed around the boy, dragging him down as the nightmare king retreated for now. 

Aster knew it was his imagination, something inside of him looking for what couldn't possibly be there, but he saw the boy reach out, and thought he saw a flash of hope, or fear, as Aster reached back to try to catch him before the shadows took him.

* * *

They were in North's workshop, more specifically the infirmary attached to the lower levels as the Yeti medics rubbed healing salves into Aster's frostbitten arm. The damage wasn't nearly as bad as it had felt at first, healing quickly under the talented hands of the chief medic. 

“I do not understand... Pitch has been threatening to make Fearling Prince, or Princess, for many, many years now. If could be done, why has not done it before?” North was asking, Tooth hovering anxiously while Sandy made thoughtful pictures above his head. “And who is Jokul boy to become creature shaped at Pitch's will?” 

“I don't know, North.” Aster said again, a low rumbling growl in his throat which was a noise that had apparently startled the other guardians and they had seen him during and after battles before. This was new... he had never had to fight a child before. 

“I'm certain we'll find out more than we want to know.” Tooth stated, her voice still cool though she was shivering now, and it was only a moment after she spoke that North wrapped her in his arms, offering comfort and peace to her wounded spirit. 

Aster ignored them with ease of long practice, thinking instead on the pieces of wood siting on a nearby counter, what remained of Jokul's staff. It hadn't harmed Tooth when she touched it earlier, though when she had made to leave it behind Aster had stopped her, running furred paws over the gnarled wood carefully and frowning as he felt the life inside of it. North had already declared that it was a crucial part of the Jokul boy's magic, and that he could practically taste the winter spells laid into the enchanted wood, but there was more than just magic in it and Aster couldn't quite put his finger on it. 

“Something ain't right. That was way too hard, but got incredibly easy after Tooth broke that staff.” Aster stated, growling to himself again as he ground his teeth in frustration. “No one puts that much power into enchanting something... You said that yourself North.”

“Yes... but boy might not have known better... Pitch has done much more foolishness in past.” North stated, disdain clear in his voice even as his grip tightened around Tooth. “Come... we will rest for tonight while Bunny heals and tomorrow we will formulate plan of attack. We will find and destroy fearling creature and then will seal Pitch once and for all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating will go up in future chapters and tags will be added as I get more written.
> 
> This is the kind of thing that pops out of my mind when I've been trolling Kinkmeme Prompts...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is something very unexpected.

The next five decades were one pitched battle after another between the Guardians and Pitch, each time someone new fighting the Fearling. With it's staff gone, it seemed much weaker than their initial fight, slower and more easily exhausted for which everyone heaved a sigh of relief. They still had no idea who Jokul had been before Pitch had taken him, but he was powerful, very powerful even without his staff, forming weapons out of ice at his will. 

“Is ridiculous.” North stated, very nearly growling himself as Phil bandaged the wounds on his upper arm. Thankfully it seemed that Jokul couldn't cause instant frostbite without his staff, but he seemed to have an unnatural proficiency with the short swords and knives he ended up forming instead. “Was Bandit King for years before becoming Guardian, was good at job, very good, and yet slip of boy gives me trouble.” He was complaining, and Tooth chuckled even as she hovered perhaps a little closer than Phil approved of while he was working on North's wounds. 

“You're lucky he didn't take the whole arm off. If Sandy hand't hit him with that ball of dreamsand he might not have slowed down enough for you to get out of the way.” Aster said grumpily, huffing as he idly fidgeted with one of his boomerangs. The fact that Pitch had somehow turned a child, even a spirit child, to his fearling was very bad and was still bothering Aster far more than he liked though he did his best to hide it from the others. They didn't seem to have the same reservations, and logically he knew he ought to have simply mourned the kid and moved on because once they were corrupted by the shadows there was no reversing the process and saving those who had been turned into fearlings. 

Logic didn't help when every time he saw the kid everything in him wanted to steal him away somewhere safe and sound. It didn't help that there were more fearlings now and no one wanted to think of how Pitch had done it and where he was getting the strength to create more of those abominations. “I'm going out...” Aster finally growled, pulling away from the wall he had been leaning on. 

“Be careful Bunny, I'm pretty sure it's going to take Pitch a while to recover, but I'm not sure about Jokul yet.” Tooth said, and Aster waved one distracted paw at her as he stalked away, heading towards the basement and the bare dirt floor that North had finally set up for him to come and go since he had been complaining about the snow drifts. 

Deciding to check the damages from their most recent battle, Aster emerged in North America. It was an unusually cold may, and he was very much blaming Jokul for that, he wanted to make sure that his hard work with spring wasn't going to get ruined by that brat.

* * *

Dark eyes watched a group of children playing at the edge of the slow river, carefully hidden in the darkness. If his master knew he was out here, during the day and without permission, Jokul would be punished, probably locked in his cage until the next battle with the Guradians. But there was something he needed, an ache in his chest that could never be soothed in his masters dark realm, something that he could taste when the children laughed and played together. A few of them complained about the cold, but there was little that Jokul could do about that problem, his power was erratic and hard to impossible to control without his staff. 

Happy children were anathema to his master, and his master's power, but when they laughed and played, Jokul felt most like himself. It was soothing, and though he couldn't dream, he could rest peacefully for once instead of falling into a nightmare riddled coma when he was too physically exhausted to go on. Listening to their bright laughter, he felt himself drowse softly into slumber. His master was still recovering and wouldn't want his presence until nightfall at the very earliest though probably not for another day or two, and the Guardians never came out this early after their battles, so he should be safe enough. 

He awoke from his drowsing not long later though, his rest having become troubled and he looked around, noticing that the children weren't laughing any more, and the adults looked worried and angry. Listening in, he heard them calling a name, and looked around, wondering what had happened. One of the smaller children had wandered off, and now they were all looking for her. Jokul didn't know what to do... surely their fear would please his master, but his master wasn't here, and they had stopped laughing and playing, each of them now searching for the lost child. 

He had no reason to look himself, but he also had no particular desire to prolong their unhappy fear and feelings and wanted their laughter and joy back. Carefully, because he was tired still, he began to look around, moving from copse of shadows to shadows, his grey cloak keeping him out of the worst of the burning sun. 

He found her, surprisingly far out from where her group was by the river, though it looked like she had wandered in circles for a little while. She was too far away to hear the adults and other children calling her name, and her cries and screams and calls had gone unheard as well. The fierce ache had returned to his chest as he watched the child cry, and he reached out to her. If he could take her hand and lead her back, then the ache would go away because they would all be happy again. Instead there was more pain in his chest and now through his hand as he passed right through her, though she didn't seem to feel him at all. Frustrated, Jokul had to sit back and wait until the tiny child had cried herself to sleep, which took a few precious hours though the baleful sun was sinking lower and lower. Finally though, she was asleep, and Jokul tried again, the softest of smiles lighting his features as he was able to pick the sleeping child up and carry her back towards where the others were still frantically searching nearby copses of trees and down river. Apparently they thought the child had been caught up in the currents and washed away, and hadn't checked the opposite direction which is where the girl had wandered off. 

Setting her down just outside the clearing they were in, Jokul pondered how best to get their attention...

* * *

Aster growled to himself, searching the banks and the surrounding woods a little bit away from where the rest of the group was swimming. He wasn't supposed to be involved, spirits weren't supposed to let their hands directly into helping people like this, but he couldn't stand the thought that perhaps this little child had been taken by Pitch and his apprentice to turn into another fearling. It terrified him, what if the fearlings they had been fighting had been children stolen after battles when the Guardians thought that Pitch and Jokul would be recovering? The thought horrified him, and he felt all the more horrified when he looked up and saw the blasted Fearling Prince himself standing on the bank not far away. 

Growling angrily, Aster pulled his weapons even as he sprang into action, throwing one exploding egg and a boomerang not long after to catch the boy as he was blinded by the googie. Jokul didn't linger to fight though, turning and immediately fleeing and Aster gave chase, determined not to let him get away with what evil plans had to be formulating in his mind. For all he knew if he let the Fearling get away, no one would ever see the lost child again and that would truly be unbearable. 

Then Aster tripped over something, something that grumbled and latched onto his foot and he let out a startled cry, for one moment afraid that he had fallen right into a trap before realizing that it was a little girl in a swimsuit cuddling his leg. Shocked, Aster looked up to where Jokul had stopped running though he was half hidden behind a thick oak tree, the corners of his lips upturned and his light blue eyes almost... happy? Could a Fearling even feel happy? And since when were his eyes pale, icy blue instead of nearly black? 

When the child shifted closer to his fur and made a sleepy noise, Aster looked down at her, and when he glanced up again, the Fearling was gone.

* * *

Jokul knew that the Easter Bunny would get the girl back to her family, though for a moment he had thought that the rabbit would finally end him. He would have been somewhat upset at dying before the self appointed task of getting the girl back to her family was completed, but at least now he knew that there would be more bright laughter from her and the other children. 

Now though it was actually dark, and he needed to get back to his masters lair if he wanted to be sure of returning before his master decided he wanted him. It was a fine balance, stealing these moments for himself and being at his masters beck and call. Somewhat tired when he returned, and not feeling his master's call just yet, Jokul settled into one of the alcoves overlooking the central room of the labyrinthine caverns his master made their home. He had been settled a matter of hours when he felt his masters call, anxiety making a hard knot in his chest even though he obeyed faithfully, immediately seeking his master out in the 'throne' room, where writhing shadows, cold iron, and rough hewn stone came together in a way that would have made any mortal shiver in terror. 

Jokul knelt before his master obediently, feeling no fear or joy from answering his masters call. “There you are, you lazy thing.” his Master stated, purring and reaching one long fingered hand out to run through Jokul's frozen hair. Jokul knew this drill, and though the knot of anxiety in his chest didn't go away, he knew what to expect from here, though the specifics were always different. As always after defeat at the hands of the Guardians, Master's hands were rough and demanding as they pulled Jokul closer, and he moved as bid, removing his cloak and shirt at his master's command. Feeling the fingers and shadows along his skin caused a physical reaction, making his body shiver, which pleased Master. Pleasing master was good, far, far better than disappointing or angering him. Master held Jokul's worthless life in his hands after all, and could choose at any time to take away what comforts Jokul could find... 

Master was talking again, and Jokul listened though he took no interest in any words that were not a command or question. “Such a pity you had to break so soon.. Oh if only I could have a window open to let in the light of the full moon now.” Master's hands pulled Jokul's pants off, the dark cloth blending quickly with the grey stone of the floor. “I'm certain he would enjoy the show.”

Jokul didn't care enough to ask who.

* * *

Aster paced from one end of the warren to the other, ears twitching furiously as his mind raced in circles about what had happened. That had been the area of the battle, but when he returned later, Jokul had led him directly to the missing child instead of trying to take the kid. The fact that the little girl had been within sight of the camp, in a place Aster knew he had checked before heading down river, suggested that Jokul had moved the child at some point after she had fallen asleep, which made even less sense. 

Why would a fearling pass up the chance at devouring a child? That made less sense than the way the winter sprite had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The only winter spirits of any notable power on a scale that the boy had shown the first time they fought were the Snow Queen and General Winter. It didn't matter how many spells had been worked into the boy's staff, the power that had created those spells was still tied to the boy one way or another. 

The kid sure as hell wasn't General Winter and no one had seen the Snow Queen in hunreds of years but the kid wasn't her either. 

Aster groaned and flopped down on a large patch of clover clutching his ears to his head and wishing he was at the North Pole. One thing that could always be counted on around North was that he kept plenty of vodka around for days like this, when thinking was getting them nowhere and they all needed to take a step back. Pitch had elevated their fighting to a whole new level, one that was gaining frightening layers of complexity. The only thing he knew right now, was that he didn't have enough information to make a judgment about today's incident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yea... Jack's still in there, he's just... kinda buried and is having a hard time getting air.


	3. Chapter 3

Jokul clawed at the side of his cage in pain, unable to keep himself as quiet as his master preferred as the fearling clawed its way out of him. The shadows left undamaged flesh behind, but Jokul could feel each pass of claw as it pulled itself out of him, getting it's first meal of his pain and suffering, though like all the others over the years he had no fear to give it. These creatures always emerged from his body a few days after his Master had intercourse with him, it was most unpleasant and though it happened extremely frequently Jokul had never gotten used to it. 

The fearling sniffed at him where he was laying, recovering his strength, before losing interest and passing through the bars to go join the others where they tittered and danced in the shadows. Master wasn't paying any attention to them though, pacing carefully around the strange world shaped globe and growling at all the sparkling little lights on it. Jokul knew it would be at least another day before they moved out to attack the Guardians again, but Master was deciding on his next target. Wherever the lights flickered with any uncertainty, Master would spread fear and evil to make them go out. The Guardians would show up and try to stop him, and they would end up hiding in the Lair while Master licked his wounds again. 

If Jokul had the strength for it, he was sure he would be frustrated by the utter futility of it.

* * *

The air was bitter cold, Jokul preferred it this way though he knew it gave humans and other creatures trouble. There had been children laughing and playing in the snow earlier, sledding and throwing handfuls of snow at each other in their exuberance. It had made the knot in Jokul's chest loosen, and he had felt... calm and almost content though he was careful not to let his master know about that. Now he was waiting while his master put the finishing touches on the trap he was laying for the Guardians. It had been a long time since his master had told him to wait here, so presumably the Guardians would be showing up soon and the cycle would repeat once more. 

It wasn't until he saw something brightly colored fly into one of the windows of the house he was definitely not watching that he realized that his Master had gotten quite far away. The tiny tooth fairies had some kind of sense that let them stay well out of his Master's way when they were doing their jobs, so that they couldn't be captured by the fearlings though Jokul still didn't know why his Master wanted them. When the tiny creature passed nearby, Jokul moved to get a better look at it, never having seen one up close before. 

He had seen her quite easily even in the deepening dusk, but apparently she hadn't seen him because she let out a high pitched squeak and veered sharply to the right, directly into a stout oak tree. There was a niggle of doubt in Jokul as he approached closer, wondering if the tiny creature had harmed herself. He didn't want that, not really. It might have been his Master's aim, but until he was given an order the last thing he wanted to do was cause discomfort or pain. 

The tiny creature didn't move as he picked her up, looking more closely at her. She was blue and green and dragonfly wings with a long sharp beak for her nose and a single bright gold plume on her head. The small dark mark under her eye made him frown at first, but after trying to wipe it gently away with his thumb he realized it was a part of her instead of a speck of dirt. 

She was breathing, her wings twitching as she worked towards becoming conscious again. She was slow to uncurl from around the tiny tooth she was holding, but when she did, Jokul was fascinated by her, finding out that her eyes were different colors when she looked up at him. She squeaked something again, suddenly trying to push back, her wings twitching uselessly as she ran against his raised fingers. She clutched the tooth even harder as she looked up at him, terror but also defiance obvious in that tiny face. 

He didn't like that, but how to convince her that he wasn't going to hurt her? He wasn't the one who liked causing fear, that was his Master. Oh yes... that was how humans did it. Carefully, because he definitely didn't have much practice, he pushed the muscles in his face into pulling the corner of his lips up, trying to smile like he had seen humans do when they were happy or meeting new people. When his Master left him to his own devices there wasn't much to do but watch people, so he was fairly sure that a smile would be the right gesture. 

He definitely didn't expect the tiny creature to swoon in his fingers, a high pitched sigh coming from her as she seemed to melt in his hands. The smile slipped from his features as he looked more closely at her, wondering if she was alright, and then she was hovering in front of his face, pushing at his cheeks trying to make him smile again. He had no reason not to oblige, so he did so much to the fairies exitment. She was saying something, but it was almost impossible to understand her high pitched and very fast speech as she landed in his hand again. He hadn't expected that, and it made him feel the same way laughing children did, he liked it. 

But he could also feel his master at the edge of his senses, and he didn't want his master to see the tooth fairy if he could help it. He didn't want to have to hurt her... 

Moving swiftly, the smile disappearing from his features quickly, he placed the fairy deep into some branches in one of the hedges, before returning to his position where his Master had left him earlier. She seemed confused when he set her down, but didn't dart out of hiding like he had thought she might. 

“Jokul, a storm.” Master demanded as he materialized out of the shadows, and Jokul obediently began to unleash his power, carefully, so much more carefully than even his Master would ever know, let alone anyone else. It had to be done in stages otherwise things would go very wrong, the way they had the first time his master let him out of the Lair to fight the Guardians. Controlling it was also much more difficult now without his staff, and it had taken him a very long time to perfect the build up of a simple storm like this one. “Lazy oaf.” His Master growled, impatient but didn't make the order for Jokul to hurry, so he didn't. 

The snowfall was heavy and the wind howling when Jokul was done, and by the time the storm blew out in a few days there would be several feet of snow on the ground. The former winter sprite was exhausted though, and he swayed, barely holding to his feet as his Master cackled gleefully in the wind, once more disappearing into the shadows as he moved on with whatever he was going to be doing. Probably spreading nightmares of being snowed in and unable to get food and supplies among the humans. 

When his Master was no longer there, and Jokul couldn't feel him at the edge of his senses, he gave in to his exhaustion and decided to go to sleep. Rather, his eyes closed of their own violation and he fell face forward into the snow piling up around him, too tired to keep his feet or consciousness any longer.

* * *

The tiny tooth fairy watched as Pitch Black emerged from the shadows and gave the command to Jokul, and she watched the strain on his face as he called up the storm. There was no expression on his features, like he didn't feel anything, but there were tension lines along his jaw and forehead like he was exerting himself mightily. She felt bad for him, he was so... well she couldn't name it that was sure. 

He had startled her when he moved out of the shadows earlier, and she had veered away scared of him because he was Pitch Black's apprentice or something. He didn't have the same oppressive aura of fear that warned the tooth fairies away from Pitch though, and while she had been scared of him, was still scared of him, he had the sweetest smile she had ever seen on anyone. It was shy, and unpracticed like he was uncertain he even could, but it was so pretty, and his teeth! They were like pearls of new fallen snow glowing bright in moonlight. Just remembering his smile made her want to sigh and titter like she was a hundred years younger. 

But there was no time for that now, she could feel Pitch's aura moving away, and Jokul was just standing there. When he fell, she squeaked in alarm and darted forward, determined to make certain he was alright. He was breathing, but he was laying in the snow which couldn't be good for him... Still holding tight to the tooth in her grip, the tiny tooth fairy fluttered indecisively. She should continue on her rounds and take the teeth back to Mother, but she wanted to find some way to help Jokul. He was face down in the snow... Squeaking and grunting with effort, she moved to push his head, shifting him so that his face was to the side so it would be easier for him to breathe. 

Then she set out to find the nearest patrolling Guardian. One of them would surly be able to help.

* * *

Aster was just about to head back to the warren when one of Tooth's mini-fairies flew directly into his chest, squeaking and trying to talk to him. He could usually understand the little fairies, provided they slowed down quite a bit and he focused entirely on listening to them, but this one was so worked up that Aster couldn't for the life of him understand a word she was saying. “Hold up there little sheila, I can't understand when you're going so fast. Did something happen?” When he got an affirmative, she was still too exited to slow down very much. 

She started darting away and back, seemingly trying to get him to follow her, and Aster sighed, massaging his head with one paw before moving after the bright little ball of energy. Where did the tooth fairies get all this energy? He was getting run ragged between his duties as Guardian of Hope, the Easter Bunny, and the patrols they had set up since Pitch had gone active again. “Alright sheila, you'll have to calm down as we go though so you can explain.” 

She clearly wasn't having any of that as Aster followed her, to where this blasted snow storm seemed to be centered. It was mid fall, winter wasn't supposed to start for another month or so. Yet they had a white out blizzard the likes of which they only seemed to see when a certain fearling prince was involved. Sure, they didn't usually find Jokul during these storms, but that was presumably more because Pitch was hiding him than that he wasn't involved. 

Sure enough, the tooth fairy had taken him right to what seemed to be the heart of the storm, directly to a cloaked figure conked out on the ground. “A kid?” Aster's first thought was panic, some kid had gotten trapped out in the snow and was going to freeze to death if he and the fairy didn't manage to find some way to get him safe. Then he got a closer look at the figure, the dark cloak, the tattered pants, the blackened frostbitten feet... it was Jokul. 

“What.. why did you lead me here little sheila?” Aster hissed, angry and confused as the fairy was hovering over the fearling, chirping and humming and petting his face where it was turned just out of the snow letting the obviously unconscious boy breathe. 

She squeaked at him again finally managing to slow herself down enough for Aster to understand. Help him... The little galah wanted him to HELP Jokul Frosti, Pitch's apprentice and Fearling Prince... 

“Why would... how did... listen here you little drongo, that's Jokul bloody Frosti, Pitch's pet winter sprite! He's a bloody fearling and you want me to help him? Why would I help him? How would I.. ? You're bloody starkers!” He growled, loosening his boomerangs in their holsters and checking that his dagger was loose and ready to go. The only question was how to mercifully end the fearling, so that he wouldn't be able to help Pitch any more, hell it would probably be a mercy if the glimpse of what he had seen on the boy's face a few months ago was any indication. 

Still, even with the knife in his hand, he couldn't bring himself to reach down and slit the fearling's throat. It didn't make sense, but he didn't want to actually hurt the kid, stop him yes, keep him from working with Pitch in the future if at all possible, but hurt him? End his life? The thought sickened Aster, it was a child he was standing over and contemplating murder of. Then what the little fairy was saying penetrated his mind, and he caught his breath. “You saw him smile? I know your yankin my chain now, fearlings don't smile...” 

She flew into his face, scolding him, and it made him hesitate. What if the boy wasn't a true fearling? He didn't act like the other fearlings, or even the fearlings of old. He was definitely a different breed of fearling, but what if that was because something had gone wrong when Pitch tried to corrupt him? Was such a thing even possible? 

Aster shook his head, growling low in his chest as he realized that he needed to take this opportunity now to get rid of this creature, they probably would never get an opportunity like this again... 

That was when the shadows on the ground suddenly writhed and swallowed him whole.

* * *

Pitch scowled as he glared down at his sleeping Fearling Prince, helpless and exposed simply laying in the snow. “Idiot. Stupid lazy idiot.” He growled, kicking hard into the boy's side, which caused him to gasp and curl around himself. “How dare you sleep somewhere like this! Exposed to anyone who comes along... If I hadn't come back when I did, you would have been killed by that stupid pooka.” Every other word was punctuated by a hard kick to the boy's ribs or sides though he was now curled around himself. “Useless, that's what you are. If I hadn't invested so much power into creating you I would give it up for a lost cause. You simply cannot do anything the way it needs to be done! You get nothing right!” 

Pitch was breathing hard as he watched Jokul cower on himself, and after a moment a smirk came across his features. “Still... I suppose one good thing did come of your laziness this time. Bunny would never have let his guard down so far if you had been able to defend yourself. Come, Jokul. We've a guest, and I don't want to keep him waiting.” 

The Boogieman was pleased when his fearling pet obediently followed him into the shadows, never realizing that there was a stowaway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo... The first part of this chapter takes place a few days after the last chapter. The rest of it is several months later. . . I don't know why it wanted to be written that way. I blame Baby Tooth, she kinda hijacked like half this chapter... 
> 
>  
> 
> Small secret... a month ago (approximately) I tried to write this story. I even posted the first two chapters as I went... before realizing that I absolutely hated it, had written myself into a tiny box, and deleted them. Since then I've seen several great versions of this kind of story pop out, and loved reading them. I've also as previously stated trolled RotG Kinkmeme... This germinated all manner of wondrous beauties in my mind, and I no longer fear writing myself into a tiny box. I know what's going to happen. 
> 
> That being said, Next Chapter is going to go way up in rating. There's also going to be a few new tags.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, Dubcon is at the begining of this chapter... I'm pretty sure Jack isn't in the right frame of mind to be consenting, but at the same time, he's not making a fuss either.

Master was happy. Jokul was happy that Master was happy. He still wished that Master would just let him sleep, he was so exhausted after making that storm and keeping it under control instead of simply unleashing it. Jokul shuddered and gasped for breath as his Master's body moved over and within his, claws teasing and tormenting his flesh. Apparently Master celebrated the same way he sulked, though this time there was a wild eyed Guardian of Hope in one of the hanging cages far above. Jokul knew he was wild eyed because he was looking past Master and watching the giant rabbit. 

As soon as they had gotten back to the Lair, Master had tormented the Rabbit, keeping him wrapped tightly in shadows and stripping him of all his weapons and what clothes the bipedal leoprid wore. It wasn't much, but it was all sitting in a neat pile now in a nearby cage, just out of the Easter Bunny's reach which had made him growl and slam around in the cage he had been put in when he saw Jokul put them away. A great large shadow lock, as much for appearance as functionality, sealed the Rabbit's cage, which was still swaying from his frantic actions earlier. He had been throwing himself against the bars for a little while right as Master began to strip Jokul down, but now he simply watched, long ears pressed tight to his head and eyes wide and perhaps angry? Jokul couldn't read them. 

Still, they were wide and vibrant green, much brighter than most things that Jokul saw. Much more interesting than his Masters face, and Master didn't seem to care, pushing himself and for some reason Jokul's body, to physical completion. It wasn't very intense, but it was enough to make Jokul shudder as his master wrought completion from him before spilling his own shadow seed deep inside of Jokul's body. 

Master lay there for several moments, basking in the relaxing feelings spread through his body before laughing as he got up, leaving Jokul as he always did. He made a great show of just now noticing the Rabbit, and taunting him, asking if he enjoyed the show and such. Jokul didn't see a point to it, and once Master was distracted he rolled over and retrieved his clothes. Hopefully she was still alright, wrapped up as she was inside of his cloak.

Dressing, he made certain she stayed hidden even as he walked away from where the Rabbit was shouting something at Master and Master was tormenting back. It wasn't until he reached a nook far away from the central cages that he pulled her out, making certain that none of his master's power was nearby. She was shivering as she looked up at him, obviously very cold though there was little that he could do about that, and tiny teardrops fell down her face. Jokul wiped them away, reaching high into the nook and settling her on a safe ledge there. This place was safe, it was one of the few places he made certain stayed safe from the inquiries of the fearlings and his Master didn't care so long as Jokul came whenever called. 

Looking around, Jokul tore off a long strip from the bottom of his cloak and put that on the ledge too. He couldn't control the cold to bring the temperature up, and the lair was clammy and cool in any case, but he could give her something to wrap herself in and hopefully that would be able to warm her up. Sitting down in his little nook, Jokul wondered what he was supposed to do now. It was too exposed here, and in a few days a new fearling would tear it's way out of his body, but then, when every shadow held fearlings and night terrors, everywhere was too exposed. It was part of why he tried to be in his cage when he fell into his exhausted sleep, but Master was still in there and he was still so tired... Sighing, Jokul closed his eyes and tried to rest. Later he would move to the relative safety of the hanging cages, and he would find something to do with the tiny tooth fairy.

* * *

The tiny fairy was surprised to find herself placed on a high shelf after Jokul had left the main room of this horrible place. She had peeked out of his cloak after hearing Bunny screaming in anger and other noises she hadn't understood till she saw what Pitch Black was doing to Jokul. After that she had buried herself as deeply inside the cloak as she could and kept her tears as quiet as possible. It wasn't right, it wasn't fair and it made her so angry but there was nothing she could do about it right now. If she flew out there, Pitch would capture her and would use her against her Mother some how. She knew that horrible things could be done with teeth if they were collected by the shadows, that was part of why she and her sisters were so diligent in finding all the teeth before anything happened to them. She was glad now that she had dropped the tooth she had been carrying earlier outside, one of her sisters would surly find it and then Mother would know for sure something was wrong. 

When Jokul had put his clothes back on and walked away, she had been concerned for Bunny, but she didn't dare peek out with Pitch in the room, and when the snow boy had pulled her out and looked at her, she had been crying. He hadn't been sad or upset as he wiped away some of her tears, simply reaching up after to place her on this cold shelf, before tearing off a piece of his cloak for her to use as a blanket. There were still tears in her eyes as she wrapped herself up in it, grateful for the gesture even if she was still slightly cold. She would warm eventually, not like the snow boy. It wasn't fair at all, he was nice, he had a beautiful smile even though she had only seen it once, and he was being tormented by that Pitch Black. He hadn't been struggling, but he obviously hadn't been enjoying what Pitch had been doing to him. It made her want to scream in frustration but if she did, Pitch would catch her... she didn't want that and it was all she could do to try to not feed the fear that that was exactly what was going to happen. 

Huddling into herself, she looked around, realizing that there were other things on the same hollowed out rock shelf she was sitting on. There were bits of string tied in different and intricate knots, and a dozen or so rocks and marbles of different kinds. There were even three or four silver jacks, and she shook her head, wondering when the sombre boy had gathered these things. They were his treasures, she could tell that just looking around herself, and it made her little heart break all over again, just like his sad, hesitant smile had. Curious, she started examining each thing, the silver jacks, the marbles, shiny little stones... and near the back of the shelf, pushed under tied bits of twine, one strange, smooth black ball. It was half the size she was, but then so were most teeth, and there was something in it that reminded her of the teeth she collected usually. 

Curious, she put her hands on it, wondering if it held a memory the same way that teeth did. She was just a little bit disappointed to find out that it didn't, but it definitely held something, considering where she was, it was probably something important to Jokul. The way he was acting earlier, this place wasn't safe unless he was here, and she held onto it tightly as she crawled to the edge of the shelf, looking down to where he slept. Making her decision, she wrapped it up in the piece of cloak with her, keeping herself tightly wrapped too. She would take it with her to keep it safe for him, and hopefully one day he would be able to come and get it since it was important. 

She wasn't sure how long it took her to fall asleep, the tooth sized black marble hidden inside of her 'blanket' with her.

* * *

Aster was drowsing, tired from anger, tired from hope, tired from worry, just tired. Pitch had gloated, but hadn't done anything to him yet other than try to force fear on him. Fearlings had been clattering into the cage at random intervals, usually just as he was actually starting to actually fall asleep, which was of course enough to wake him up. To say that he was becoming quite cross was a massive understatement, so when something else slammed into his cage, Aster automatically growled at it, before he realized that it was Jokul. 

Suddenly he wasn't growling, but he didn't know what to think, or say, or just about anything anymore. He had seen the way Pitch was treating the 'fearling prince', and it disgusted him. You didn't treat people like that, it was wrong and had sickened Aster, who had looked away, until Jokul's dark blue eyes had caught his. He hadn't been able to look away after that, the lack of expression in his face more horrifying than watching Pitch couple with the boy. Even when it was obvious that Pitch was trying to hurt him, leaving angry red scratches on the boy's pale skin or biting down at his neck and shoulders, there were no emotions through the flickers of pain that made the boy's body react. 

He didn't quite look like that now, there was sweat on his face, and it was obvious that he was in extreme discomfort for some reason or another, though he was clinging to the outside of Aster's cage. Then he was pushing something through one of the larger holes between the bars, a bundle of dark gray cloth that looked like it came from his cloak. When it was through, and he was being so careful with it which made Aster wonder what it could be, he immediately turned and jumped away. Frowning, aster poked at the small bundle of cloth, eliciting a quiet chirp from it before it shifted and the little tooth fairy from before peeked out. “Little sheila... what are... how...” Aster's thoughts were suddenly racing, he hadn't thought about the tooth fairy that had led him to Jokul, figuring that she had hidden and managed to get away, but it looked like Jokul had managed to capture her instead, which was pretty bad. Anger coursed through the Pookan warrior, and he growled again, before being distracted by a loud crashing sound as one of the cage doors from the other cages was slammed open, and he looked up in time to see Jokul throw himself into the cage, curling tight like he was in pain. 

The quiet whimper that came to the Easter Bunnies ears was heart breaking all over again, and Aster watched in horror at the claws of shadow emerging slowly from his skin, raking forward before pulling back like they were clawing their way out. Judging from the winter spirit's convulsions, it was an extremely painful experience, and suddenly the little tooth fairy was hiding in his paws, her face pressed to his fur and he could feel the moisture spreading from there. Time after time, the claws were pushing out and pulling in, taking far longer than it seemed they ought to for their size. It was like the shadow was toying with Jokul, taking it's time and prolonging the spirit's pain... 

As the first full throated scream of pain emerged from Jokul, Aster realized that was exactly what was happening. Again something horrible was happening to the boy, and all Aster could do was watch. He wasn't sure if Pitch was doing this on purpose, and he knew that Jokul was certainly not enjoying the experience, but the boogeyman couldn't have found a more effective means of hurting Aster. Ironically that argued for Pitch not being aware of it, he was brilliant but it always seemed like his plans were flawed some how. This... this was simply horrifying. 

Jokul was still screaming as the shadow creature emerged more and more, reaching back as if to bite at the trembling pain filled mess that it was emerging from. Aster felt all of his blood practically freeze as he recognized that it was a fearling emerging from the boy, and he wondered if this was what made a Fearling Prince, the ability for this horrifying parody of giving birth to the horrid creatures. The Easter Bunny found himself emptying all contents from his stomach into one side of the cage, feeling guilty and angry all at once for the assumption he had made months ago when that little girl had gone missing. 

This wasn't worse, nothing would be worse than children being kidnapped and turned into monsters, but it was just as bad. A single child, spirit or no Jokul was still a child, he had to be, was going through this much pain to create those horrible creatures, and remembering how many had been destroyed over the years and that there always seemed like a never ending supply of them... There was nothing left in his stomach, but he couldn't stop retching for several minutes. 

When he looked back to where the creature was still emerging from the winter sprite, he held his nerves steady, refusing to look away from this horror. Pitch hadn't had fearlings for a long time... until just over a hundred years ago. If that was how long the winter sprite had actually been corrupted by Pitch, instead of the fifty years they had been fighting him, then it was even worse than he realized. When it was done, the fearling sniffed at Jokul's trembling form before oozing out of the open cage and melting down into the cackling shadows to join it's brethren. 

Aster found himself sitting against the bars of the cage on the far side from where he had been sick, his long legs not quite stretching out, the cage was too cramped for that, but he was sitting again, and once more there was a tooth fairy against his chest crying. He cradled her, taking what comfort he could in the little creature as he waited, wondering what horror would happen next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments make me write faster which means I get to the comfort part of the fic faster :3


	5. Chapter 5

Aster watched for what felt like days as Jokul lay trembling in the bottom of the cage. Pitch had actually come and gone a few times, checking on the dark globe far underneath the hanging cages and cackling to himself as he moved from here to there. Occasionally he would look up at Aster, chuckling darkly before he disappeared again, and something in the boogeymans madness made the Easter Bunny shudder. Pitch definitely wasn't all there, and hadn't been for a while, and Aster wondered why it had taken him so long to notice. 

Aster just needed access to the ground, or hell any platform touching the ground, to open up one of his tunnels to the warren and get both himself and the little tooth fairy out of here. She had wrapped back up in the scrap of cloth that Jokul had pushed in with her, and was still huddling in Aster's grip for the most part, hiding underneath his leg whenever Pitch came into the room. Eventually though, she seemed to be growing bold, and Aster was surprised when she flew into his face, holding something small and black. “What is it, little one?” he asked quietly, even as something about the tiny marble seemed to catch his attention. 

She hesitated a moment, as if worried about what she was about to do, before pressing the tiny round, black stone into his paw. 

Aster's breath immediately caught as he realized that there was life inside that tiny marble. Just a spark of something hard to identify, but so vibrant, like a tiny seed ready to sprout and become something amazing. “Where... where did you get this from?” Aster asked, his voice nearly choking as he reached to gently grasp the little tooth fairy. “Do you know what this is?” His voice had a desperate edge to it, he needed to find out what it was, to see what it could become with just a little bit of encouragement. That spark of something was so strong but so very small, and Aster could swear it was familiar to him somehow like he had touched it before at some point. 

It felt like hope. 

The little fairy started squeaking at him and Aster did his best to listen, frowning as he caught the gist of what she was saying. “It's Jokul's? Why would... how... Listin little sheila, I'm beginning to think we've been goin about things the wrong way...” His voice was a low whisper, though the only other being in the room was Jokul. Even the shadows seemed fairly empty of fearlings, which was probably an indication that Pitch was attacking the Guardians while their numbers were low, though to be fair he hadn't taken Jokul with him either. There was a fair probability that the Guardians would do well, they had defeated Pitch before numerous times after all, but it put Aster on edge to realize that he was trapped here while his comrades were probably fighting for their lives again. Rolling the tiny black seedling in his paw, Aster looked over to the cage that Jokul was hanging in, his wiry little form still shuddering though he had turned over on his back and seemed to be staring towards the roof of the cage he was in. 

Well... if this thing was Jokul's, and he could feel hope in it, then perhaps he could do something about it. Just like the tooth fairies could draw out memories hidden in things, and North could draw the wonder of anything to the surface, Aster could encourage hope wherever he found it. Being the Guardian of Hope and Life, he had never felt either of those from the winter sprite that Pitch had turned into a fearling, but if he had put it all in this precious seed for some reason that made sense. 

Focusing, Aster began to block everything else out, ready to explore this new found possibility. Gradually the sounds of the wind in the caves, and the creaking of the cages fell away. It took longer for the sounds that the little tooth fairy was making to fade, and longer still for the sound of his own breath to fall into the background, though not the sound of his heart. That was important, he needed that for the next part. 

Everything in him was focused on the tiny black marble in his hand, and the spark of life and hope he felt inside. The first thing was to encourage it to grow, so he introduced the spark of life to his own heartbeat, a heart beat that every living thing, from the tiniest seed to the most enormous whale and even each tree and bush, knew and echoed in it's own way. Where there was life, there was hope. Surprisingly he didn't feel the spark of life in the seed respond, but that little bit of hope swelled up like nothing he had experienced before. 

It was old hope, hidden away and ignored, bitter on the surface because what was there to hope for? But also so sweet, for having been cherished for so long despite being seen as impossible. Well, if that was the part that wanted to wake up first, as long as that little spark of life didn't go out Aster could oblige. Just like he did with each and every egg, every Easter, Aster poured his own hopes and joys into that tiny seed. 

He was abruptly bought out of his trance when something slammed into the cage he was in, making it rock wildly and for a moment he was confused about where he was and what he was doing in this nasty cage.... Then he looked up into Jokul's dark blue eyes where the boy was clinging to the outside of his cage, staring at him with the most expression that Aster had ever seen on the boy. 

He could literally see the hope on his face, though there was anger there too as he stared at the tiny black seed in Aster's paw, and the Pooka suddenly felt worried. Though he was shocked by what happened next when Jokul growled a single word. 

“Thief.” His voice sent a shiver down Aster's spine, sounding just off aligned from itself with an odd, light echo like there was more than one voice speaking at a time. The boy continued to glare for a moment, before his attention shifted to the large shadow formed lock keeping the cage from opening. Aster had tried everything he could think of at least twice to break the danm thing when he was first put in here, but had given up right about the time that Pitch had been coupling with Jokul. 

The fearling seemed to consider the lock for a moment, before he reached out to it, shadows forming claws at the ends of his fingers even as Aster watched. Claws that sank into the shadow lock, tearing it to shreds and leaving the cage open for Jokul to get to both Aster and the little tooth fairy. 

Aster was certain he had been safer with the lock still in place.

* * *

Jokul woke up from his exhaustion and fearling induced coma to something powerful coursing through him, something he hadn't felt in a very long time. It was unfamiliar, but powerful, driving him to get up long before he would have willingly moved. He looked around, a growing sense of urgency and anxiety making him less cautious as he tried to find the source of whatever was ailing him. 

There, the Rabbit was doing something. It looked like he was sleeping, but the small hairs along Jokul's neck were standing on end and it was his fault. Flinging himself from his cage, the winds coursing through the caverns caught and tossed him towards the Rabbit's cage with enough force to startle him from whatever he was doing. Anger, hot and intense, coursed through Jokul as he realized what was in the Rabbit's hand, and where he must have gotten it from. That little tooth fairy had stolen it, when all he had wanted was to keep her safe from his Master, from the nightmare king who ruled Jokul's pathetic life, and she had dared steal from him. Worse, she had given it to his Masters enemy, someone who was going to do everything he could to make Jokul suffer because he belonged to Master. 

No, he wouldn't have it. He hadn't spoken since before his Master had renamed him, but the single word held all of his accusations and all of his fear and anger. He barely thought about it before he shredded the large lock keeping the cage closed. When that was out of the way he kept his eyes on the Rabbit even as he pulled the cage door open and relished in the fear he could practically taste coming from the other. 

He leaned forward, grinning and sipping at that fear, tasting it change and shift as he blocked the exit of the cage before he went in, claws coming forward to grasp the Rabbit's hand that still held what belonged to him... and close it around that precious little stone. It felt right to kneel against the large leoprid, fingertips carding through that soft, fluffy fur that he had wanted to touch since the very first time he had ever seen the Easter Bunny. There was still fear there, he could still taste it after all, delicious as something in him devoured it, taking it away from the Rabbit. He didn't need it right now after all, because Jokul had no interest in actually harming him. 

All of the anger and betrayal he had felt earlier was gone, sated by the revenge he had in scaring both the Rabbit and the little tooth fairy. Possibly also sated by the fear he was eating from them. It was a strange feeling, and gave him a sense of contentment he usually only felt when around happy, laughing children. His own quiet giggle gave him the same feeling even as he picked up the little fairy and smiled at her to show that all was forgiven. He could tell that both her and the Rabbit were confused, but right now he felt too content to really worry about it. He liked the feel of soft fur under his hands and cheek, and when he smiled at the little fairy she chirped happily before practically melting in his hand. 

Jokul felt good, it was such a strange feeling, but one that he was reveling in. Then the Rabbit was speaking, and the winter sprite fearling looked up at him, trying to focus on his words but feeling too giddy to really get anywhere. Something about getting out of the cages? Jokul was comfortable though, for now at least, and didn't feel like moving, so he growled when the Rabbit shifted, before pressing his ear to the furred, soft chest and listening to the others chuckle from up close, even as those strong, fuzzy arms wrapped around him, lifting him up as the Rabbit moved. 

That was acceptable, Jokul decided, as he cuddled into the grip around him, the baby tooth fairy settling on his shoulder while they moved.

* * *

Aster was confused when Jokul closed his paw around the dark little seed, which seemed just a little more blue than black now, and surprised when the fearling was suddenly straddling his lap and leaning against him. Feeling the boy's cool fingers in his fur and against the flesh underneath was enough to make him shudder, even as the fear that gripped him when Jokul shredded the lock faded. If Aster hadn't known any better, he would swear the boy was acting like he was drunk, soft giggles and growls coming at different intervals from him, and when he smiled at the tooth fairy... well, he could see why the little sheila swooned the way she did. 

The boy was absolutely adorable, his face at attractive angles and his stark hair fluffing out in all the right directions and wow Aster really needed to focus. The last thing Jokul needed was more attention like what Pitch ladled on him. 

Still, the cage door was open, and the last thing that Aster wanted was to stay here for Pitch to return and find out any of what had happened. “Come on... Jokul... lets get going...” He said, trying to shift the boy, only to find that cold fingers had a deathgrip in his fur and the boy growled when he tried to move him. “Well aint you just the most endearing little thing... come on...” He said, changing tactics and picking the boy up with him. This had a much better reception as the boy didn't growl or struggle against it. “Come on little fairy... let's get out of here.” Aster said, and the little fairy settled herself in on Jokul's shoulder as Aster moved to the door of the cage, ready to get out of here. 

He didn't know how long he had been here, but he was sure ready to get the hell out of here. The only problem was he wasn't sure how to get to the ground from here. “Aw criky...” He groaned, looking at the figures in his arms before making his decision and taking the jump. Thankfully he landed well, though Jokul growled at him when he landed and jostled the boy. “Aight... lets get out of here then.” Aster tapped the ground with his foot, opening a tunnel out, and dropped in immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo... I'm grinning super evily... honest. 
> 
> It's going to get good soon, honest, and thank you all so much for your comments and kudos and views. I didn't expect to have the next chapter finished so soon, but I'm all fired up and ready to start on the next one! Please let me know if you like it or hate it or... yea... comments fuel my creativity.


	6. Chapter 6

The trip to the warren was very fast, and Aster was in the main field sooner than he expected considering that he was walking upright and still holding an armful of fearling prince. Jokul had a death grip on his fur, and was not letting go which was extremely confusing for the Easter Bunny. The tooth fairy had been flitting around here and there, seemingly enjoying the fact that they were finally away from Pitch's lair for now, which Aster could hardly fault her for. 

“Hey little sheila... you might wanna go let Tooth know what happened, and check that the others are alright. Didn't see the aura on my way down, but that don't mean that Pitch hasn't been up to something while we were away.” Aster stated, to which the gold plumed fairy nodded before darting off her own way. Aster made certain that there was an opening for her that would take her as close to Tooth Palace as he could let out, before looking down at the white haired blue eyed clinging elemental. 

Who was currently sleeping in his arms. Aster hadn't expected the fearling to fall asleep on him, and he blinked for a moment, wondering exactly what he had been thinking to bring the kid with him when he escaped. Though, truth be told he hadn't had much choice in the matter, the little frostbite's hands were still clinging to his fur like vises. For some reason though, Aster didn't mind. 

“What am I gonna do with ye, Frostbite?” Aster asked, keeping his arms tight as he made his way through the warren to his burrow. “Last fifty years we've been at odds, now you're makin yourself comfy on my chest...” Shaking his head, the Guardian of Hope went to set his guest down on his nest, on a particularly fluffy part of his nest even with pillows and a quilt and everything, only to realize that Jokul was still clinging to him. “Come on Frostbite... there's a lad...” He murmured, warm paws working on cold fingers to get them to loosen and relax... cold, pale fingers... Aster frowned, recalling dozens of incidents where Jokul's hands and extremities were blackened and dead looking instead of pale but healthy, like human hands instead of the hands of a winter spirit. 

Was this all because of that little marble? What was so special about it that that it had made Jokul first upset and then... well, clingy? Aster hadn't dared open his paw earlier to look at it, keeping the little thing tucked tightly between his 'fingers' as he walked and then as he set the fearling prince down. Earlier, in the dim and downright creepy light of Pitch's lair, it had seemed to change color after Aster had focused his power on it, and in the soft light of his nest, it was obvious that it was indeed a mid-dark shade of blue now, instead of the colorless ebony it had been before. The spark inside of it had changed as well, still dimly flickering with life, but now practically shining in his senses with hope. 

Carefully, Aster examined the tiny seed all around, looking between it and Jokul for several moments and wondering exactly how this thing was connected to the fearling prince. More because he wanted the room and brighter light to look at the strange little thing than anything else, Aster made his way out of his nest and back to the small meadow in front of his personal burrow.

* * *

When Jokul awoke, he wasn't anywhere familiar. It wasn't too awfully strange to wake up surrounded by earthen walls and in dim lighting, but there were never pillows and quilts in his Master's lair, and the earth here was a rich, loamy brownish black instead of stony gray and black. He wasn't scared, oddly enough, but the knot of anxiety in his chest tightened enough that for several moments it felt like it was choking him and he couldn't breathe. He didn't know what he had been thinking earlier, clinging to the soft, delightfully warm fur of the Rabbit, but it was obvious that he had been taken advantage of and kidnapped. 

Which may or may not have made sense considering he was in a small room yes, but the doorway was wide open and inaptly named anyways because there was no door... Tilting his head, Jokul pushed away from the wall where he had kicked is way to earlier in a blind panic, and cautiously started down the hallway. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but the short hallway letting out into a room filled with fluffy chairs and books, which in turn let out into a kitchen with windows letting in bright light, was not what he thought he would find. 

There was an actual door from the kitchen, and Jokul was careful that he didn't let it squeak as he opened it, slipping out carefully in case the Rabbit saw him moving around and decided to get upset about it. Then he caught sight of the 'outside', and all of a sudden he couldn't breathe again, or at least couldn't exhale. 

It was amazing, and not quite like anything Jokul had ever seen before with bright vibrant colors everywhere and sunlight streaming in to make everything bright and beautiful. It was amazing, and Jokul wasn't even aware of the slow grin spreading over his features as he took in as many details as he possibly could, the huge trees towering far above, the neatly tended garden stretching in front of the windows and doors of the tiny house that had grass growing on the roof... 

Grass that was so green that Jokul almost couldn't believe it, it was so much brighter than anything that he had ever experienced even during the daylight when he was taking time for himself instead of simply waiting for his Master to call him. There were also bright flowers everywhere, in every hue that Jokul had ever seen and then some. 

In the middle of all of it, past the garden in the bright green grass, sat the Rabbit, carefully examining something in his hand and frowning at it like it was going to change into something else as he watched. Stifling his grin because the Rabbit hadn't seen him yet, Jokul crept forward, light enough on his feet that he was balancing on the blades of grass until he was close enough to launch himself at the taller, furred being. He felt happy, and laughter managed to bubble up from him, sounding a lot like when children laughed. It felt a lot like when they laughed and played too, making the knot of anxiety inside of him loosen. 

The Rabbit let out a shout of surprise, looking down at Jokul where his arms were wrapped around that long, lean torso, fingers playing in soft fur. “Well good morning to you too, mate.” The Rabbit said, and Jokul laughed, finally pulling away from the Guardian and standing up to stretch, something bright in the air catching his attention. Jokul was still listening to the Rabbit's smooth voice as he started following the brightly colored, tiny winged insect dancing above the grass and flowers. “You... you're an easily distracted little sprog aren't ya?” Jokul didn't bother answering, instead laughing in delight as the butterfly, yes that's what memory said it was though Jokul couldn't remember ever seeing one, landed on a bright pink flower and fanned it's wings. 

The fearling prince looked up at bright green eyes, laughing again before letting himself fall backwards into the soft grass, still giggling as he stared up at the bright ceiling of this place, and wasn't that enough to distract him easily. He had thought they were in a field somewhere, but it looked like they were in some kind of enormous cavern instead...

* * *

To say that this was not what he had expected would have been an understatement... he didn't know what he had expected but this was mos definitely not it. Looking down at the dark blue marble in his hand still, Aster wondered exactly what was going on, and why this tiny thing seemed key to saving whatever creature Pitch Black had twisted into Jokul Frosti. 

It had caught him by surprise earlier when the kid had tackled him, and he had thought for a moment that he was going to be fighting for his life. He hadn't had a chance to berate himself on not grabbing his spare weapons though when he realized that the boy was laughing, honest to goodness laughing like he had just heard the best joke in the world. Whatever it was, Aster was really beginning to wish that the kid would share it already instead of just continuing to wander around laughing. That had been hours ago, and the boy had fallen into a cycle of wandering around looking at things, anything and everything apparently could make him chuckle with glee, before falling quiet as he started to sneak up on Aster. The Easter bunny hadn't tried to doge the flying tackles yet, letting the kid plow him into the grass each time and grip tight to him until he felt like letting go or got distracted by another butterfly or a wandering googie. 

Aster didn't mind the death grip hugs, though he was getting rather concerned about the fact that it had been several hours and he hadn't heard back from the little tooth fairy, or more likely, Tooth herself. He still didn't know what Pitch had been up to while he had been captured, and if the others were alright. It hadn't been more than two or three days though, and even Pitch would have a hard time doing too much damage in that time. While Aster wanted to rush over to the North Pole or Tooth Palace and check on the others immediately, he also had another concern, primarily the fearling prince who had once more stopped giggling and was approaching from... Aster twitched his ears, listening for the tell-tale breaths and slow heartbeat that would herald the tackle and pinpointed the boy off to his right. Somehow the boy was barely brushing the grass he was walking on for the most part, like he weighed next to nothing, perhaps as much as a snow flake or a shadow... but he still breathed and had a heartbeat that Aster could track if he focused. 

Aster had just braced himself for the tackle when he heard a shout from behind him, and he turned in surprise just in time to see Tooth plow Jokul over, knocking him onto his back. “Tooth, wait!” Aster called, terrified for one split second that she was going to do something rash and kill the Fearling just as Aster was beginning to figure out how to help him... 

It was enough to make Tooth hesitate, which was apparently long enough for the tiny fairy from earlier to get in between Tooth and Jokul, hovering protectively in front of the fearling and scolding at her mother in a way that Aster was certain he would find extremely comical later. For now, he was more concerned with the fact that Jokul had started laughing again, the crazy drongo. 

“He was about to attack you!” Tooth said, her voice hot with anger, and Aster sighed, moving over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. 

“Crazy little larikin's been playing that way...” He started to explain when the boy's giggling cut off again. Worried, Aster watched the boy sit up, bright blue eyes looking between Aster, Tooth and the little tooth fairy before he grinned brightly and spoke up. It was the second time that Aster had heard the boy talk, and probably Tooth's first time if the way her feathers all stood on end at once was any indication. It wasn't like what the boy said was so bad... but the way he said it, and the tones in his voice like two people were talking were enough to make all of Aster's fur stand on end as well. 

“Hello... I'm Jack Frost/Jokul Frosti, and it's an honor to meet you...” The boy's voice was in harmony with itself, right until he said his name, then it seemed like both voices said a different name. Jokul Frosti, and Jack Frost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My brain... it... I don't know what it did... but I think I like it...
> 
> This chapter is a little shorter than most of the others have been, but hopefully it's good? Please let me know what you think?


	7. Chapter 7

On the one hand, now that Bunny had explained the situation, Jokul was absolutely adorable with indeed one of the prettiest smiles she had ever seen on anyone. Despite his fearling nature, his teeth were bright, pearly white, nearly sparkling and reminding Toothiana of fresh snow and clear, crisp winter nights. He seemed to take delight in just everything, which was very different from the fearling they had all come to hate fighting over the years. She would definitely be lying if she tried to say that it wasn't a pleasant change. 

On the other hand... No. This was one of Pitch Black's creatures in the heart of Bunny's warren, in the place where new hope and life were born every year. No matter what Bunny thought he was doing, having that thing here was an invitation to disaster, and she said as much as both she and Bunny watched the fearling frolic with a group of playful eggs. 

“Come on now Tooth... he's been harmless as a kitten since your little sheila... well, I'm pretty sure she stole this actually, but since she came and got me before Pitch pulled his little kidnapping trick.” Bunny stated, scratching his head and staring at that strange black marble.

“That doesn't mean it's not some kind of trick!” Tooth stated hotly, her purple eyes flashing with anger before she visibly took a breath to calm herself down. “Although... from what my fairy told me, I'm certain that Jokul's not part of whatever Pitch's schemes are.” She knew exactly what would happen if Pitch got a hold of one of her fairies... Her 'daughters' were as much guardians of memory as she was, and Pitch had been trying to corrupt them for years to spread fearful and hateful memories instead of happy and peaceful memories. Her girls were smart though, too smart for Pitch to get his hands on, and her little fairy would never have stuck around if Jokul had been trying to corrupt her. 

“Jack... I'm pretty sure we need to start calling that boy Jack.” Bunny stated, drawing Toothiana out of her reverie. “It's important... names are important, and if Pitch used a false name to change the boy, then his true name can help change him back.”

“You don't know that...” Toothiana stated, feeling a little like a broken record the way she was trying to get Bunny to slow down and think. Bunny didn't know anything about this situation for sure, and it was going to get him into trouble... “Listen, just be careful. North and I will be here for you, but don't do anything rash. The last thing we need is for you to be corrupted by Pitch...”

“Thank you Tooth... really.” Bunny said, his features softening at her. “I can promise it will never come to that.” 

“Good... now about while you were gone, Pitch seems to have been up to the usual, sending out the fearlings in the night to torment everyone. He tried an attack on Tooth Palace but Sandy helped me keep him from making off with anyone or doing too much damage.” She explained, moving on to the business of what had been going on while Bunny was away.

* * *

Jokul grinned as he explored every crevice he could find, enjoying finding out everything he could about this amazing place. Tagging along with him was the gold plumed little fairy, and she seemed to take as much delight as he did in everything they were finding and doing. The bigger tooth fairy still seemed fairly upset with him, but the little one was chirping and clucking at him in a way that made him think she kinda liked him. It was pleasant, and he felt much the same way about the Rabbit. 

Quieting his constant chuckles, Jokul crept up the small rise, curious about what was on the other side though he was also cautious, hearing the sounds of several small something scurrying about and the dripping splashes of some manner of creek or river. The little tooth fairy came with him, quieting her own chirps as she hovered near his shoulder. 

What he saw had chuckles escaping him again as he simply took in the view below. Several dozens of the eggs that the Rabbit seemed so fond of seemed to be playing in a small clearing next to the oddest river that Jokul had ever seen, a two foot wide stream that seemed to be filled with paints of every kind of color imaginable. It was amazing, and Jokul let out a small whoop as he charged forward, playfully following the walking little eggs around as they scurried from here to there. 

There was a slight mishap at one point, as Jokul accidentally chased a few of the small eggs into the river and he had to fish them out... which ended up with the bottom foot or so of his body, his cloak, and his pants all different shimmering colors and the little tooth fairy tittering at him. Sticking his tongue out, he flicked his wet fingers at her, catching a few drops of bright pink paint on her feathers... which actually seemed to delight her if the noises she was making were any indication. 

Of course, this didn't mean she wasn't going to retaliate... She dipped down into the paint with one of her hands and then faster than he could dodge she painted something on his face. He laughed as he skipped away, though he didn't try to wipe the paint off. It had already frozen to his skin, and truth be told the bright colors would probably be a pleasant change from all the darkness and shadows he was normally shrouded in... though he hoped the Rabbit wasn't going to get upset about the brightly colored shimmering eggs now running around. 

“Jack? Where'd you wander off to?” Well.. speak of the Rabbit... Grinning brightly Jokul decided to creep up from behind the Rabbit and Tooth Fairy and pounce again. It was fun, something he found he well and truly enjoyed doing especially the few times he had gotten startled laughs out of the furry Guardian. 

Baby Tooth seemed to have the same idea, quieting down as she snuck up on her mother, and both Jokul and the little fairy let out whoops of laughter as they plowed into, or against in Baby Tooth's case, their chosen targets. As Jokul had hoped, it startled another chuckle out of the Rabbit, though the Tooth Fairy seemed more indignant and startled than amused, which was just sad, and Jokul grinned at her, hoping that she would get the idea and smile back. 

“Is... is that a tie-dye smiley face painted onto your cheek? And your feet and... you fell into the Color River didn't you?” The Rabbit asked, and Jokul grinned sheepishly... just as the gaggle of walking eggs came over the rise and crowded around the Guardian, about half of them bright colors.

* * *

Aster found himself chuckling as he surveyed the 'damage' done by the Fearling, looking over at Tooth's flabbergasted expression every few moments so he wouldn't miss out on her reactions. Once she realized that Jokul and her little fairy had been out of sight for more than a few moments, she had started to panic just a little, certain that the fearling had decided to devour the fairy for some reason. 

Aster for his part hadn't been worried about that, but now he was wondering if he should keep a closer eye on the winter spirit sprog so that more things like this wouldn't happen. “What am I gonna do with you? The eggs aren't supposed to get colored yet, and when this batch get planted their gonna sprout all color of seeds... Not always a bad thing mind you, but occasionally the color combinations don't come out to well...” He lamented, propping his chin on his hand playfully, though it didn't seem that Jokul realized that, the grinning boy immediately drooping as the smile disappeared from his features with such speed that it alarmed Aster.

“Hey... it's alright... there's plenty of time to set up new batches.” The bunny hastened to reassure the boy, feeling better as he saw the tentative return of the fearlings smile. Normally he would get upset if someone else dyed his egg seeds, but the last thing Jokul... Jack needed was to be scolded for his playful nature right now. “Come on... we're going to go to the North Pole... North's got a huge library of magical texts tucked away, and we... we were hoping he could help find a way to help you...” Aster explained, feeling a pang of regret even as his words wiped away that tentative smile, which was replaced with a look like Jack had just felt something unpleasant in his stomach. 

“We're... we're not going to hurt you... we want to help.” Tooth stated, coming near but instead of holding his ground as he had earlier, the boy scowled, backing up a few steps from her defensively. Tooth frowned as Aster's mind raced as he tried to figure out how to diffuse the situation. He wasn't at the height of his busy time yet, but he didn't want Tooth and Jack fighting each other in his warren right now either. 

When the little fairy from before darted in front of his face and started chirping at high speed, Jack was distracted from the larger Tooth Fairy, focusing dark blue eyes on the hummingbird sized fairy in his face. “Baby Tooth?” Jack's voice was a question, and the little tooth fairy fired back a fast paced answer which seemed to make the boy relax, and he finally turned to Aster and nodded. 

Deciding that this still wasn't the strangest thing to have happened to day, Aster simply accepted what had happened and prepared to move on. “We're gonna take my tunnels... Tooth is gonna fly ahead and warn North that we're coming...” He explained, holding out a paw to Jack who considered it for several minutes before nodding and taking Aster's paw in his hand. It was still strange to realize that his fingers were no longer black and dead looking, and Aster's mind caught for a minute as he wondered if the rest of the boy's skin was that same pale, soft color. 

Shaking his head, Aster nodded at Tooth, who flew off, presumably following her own means to the North Pole as Aster led Jack to his tunnels. He wasn't too surprised when the little tooth fairy went with him and Jack instead of with her mother, which was just as well, because Jack actually smiled at her as she chittered and chirped at him, which made Aster wonder if he understood what she was saying or just liked the way she spoke. Either way was interesting, and Aster didn't object. 

Aster also didn't object to them taking their time as they went down the tunnels, since Jack seemed to be stopping to examine something new every few moments, though he did keep the kid on track and headed north instead of letting him wander down the branching tunnels that led other places. The further they got, the less branching tunnels there were since there were less places up here he had to leave his googies come spring, and it wasn't like there was anyone in particular he visited regularly other than North and Tooth. 

Sandy made it a habit to come down to the Warren two or three times a year since eighteen sixty eight, when Pitch had stirred them all up with the appearance of Jokul. Aster was more likely to see Sandy when he was visiting Tooth or North come to think of it, so there was a high probability that they would be seeing the Golden Dreamweaver when they got to the North Pole. 

After what seemed like forever, considering that Aster was used to running his tunnels on all fours instead of walking sedately along, they emerged at North's, to find the other Guardians waiting for them. Tooth still looked unhappy, and North's expression was very nearly unreadable it was so neutral and blank which just didn't belong on the jolly toy making bandit. 

“Bunny... Tooth has explained situation to me.” North started, his voice not as neutral as his face and boy was he unhappy. “I am glad you think I might be able to help, but you must face fact that this is untested situation... why is fearling boy having smiley face painted on cheek?”

Aster couldn't help it, chuckling as North's words were derailed with Jack emerging from his tunnel behind him. He could feel the boy crouched and wary, but when he glanced back there was still a slightly manic grin on those pale features, half highlighting the fact that yes, that smiley face was still extremely noticeable. Instead of waiting for Aster to answer for him, Jack spoke up, pointing to the little tooth fairy as he did so. “Baby Tooth.” Aster noticed that his voice still had that slight discordance to it, before focusing more on the fact that the little tooth fairy was chittering and trying to push the boys finger down where he was pointing to her. 

It was enough to startle a reluctant sounding laugh from North, who seemed surprised when Jack answered with his own laughter. “I see... Well then, time to be escorting boy to workroom... Will make comfortable, get whole story, and then see how we can be helping.” 

Sandy, who until this point had stayed out of the way off to the side suddenly moved forward, and Aster's attention was riveted to him as he approached Jack. If he spooked the boy, Aster wasn't sure what would happen, and the other Guardians held their breaths as well, even Tooth though there was disapproval written in every line of her body. 

Jack just stood there, his grin fading uncertainly as Sandy examined him, before images began to flash in the sand above the dreamweavers head. Aster didn't catch most of them, but whatever Sandy was saying made that smile return full force, accompanied by another full throated laugh, and the pooka let out a soft sigh of relief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh... BT has officially been named, and now North and Sandy are involved... 
> 
> Tooth still isn't happy with Jack, but next chapter Sandy might try to do something about that. .. maybe... 
> 
> Let me know what you think? I'm actually writing a lot faster than I normally do to try to keep up with reviewers...


	8. Chapter 8

It was amazing to see a spark of his own core reflected in dark blue eyes as he led his friends and the fearling boy up the stairs and towards his workshop. Bunny had put himself between Jokul and the yeti, mostly because several of them stopped their work and stared at the Fearling as they went by, their expressions ranging from rage to confusion if North was any kind of judge. That was approximately when things went wrong, one of the yeti apparently getting too close because all of the sudden Jokul had pushed Bunny and Tooth behind him and was holding daggers made of ice as he stood between them and one of the growling Yeti. 

“NO! Stop at once, Larry! Jokul, I know you are not being aware, but is rule, no weapons in production room floor.” North stated, almost physically pushing the Yeti back as he turned to face the boy, trying to keep his own fear of an incident under control. If Jokul decided to get into a fight here, well it was only a few months out from Christmas, and things could be ruined completely... 

The boy was grinning at him, a wide, manic grin that matched the not all there sparkle in his eyes and North was suddenly reminded that despite the tie-dyed smiley face on his cheek, and the colors decorating his legs feet and cloak, he had a hard time fighting this creature when they clashed. Not because he looked like a child, he himself had been just as young when he started out as a bandit all those years ago, but because he was deadly, almost madness incarnate with his weapons of ice... 

The predatory gleam in those eyes wasn't going away, and North found his hands on his swords as the boy took a step forward, into a battle position that North had seen far too often. Shadowy claws were forming around his hands, and the shadows around his feet seemed to be dancing excitedly... 

Then Bunny was between himself and the boy, unarmed, apparently having lost his weapons at some point and North would need to have a long talk with him about that and about stepping into the middle of an atmospherically charged fight unarmed later. North certainly wasn't expecting it, but Jokul stopped his advance, though dark eyes were still locked on North's face even as his hands dropped to his side, the daggers slipping from his fingers to shatter on the floor... Then the boy finally looked away, mostly because his arms were wrapped around Bunny and his face was pressed into the furry Guardian's chest. 

It was several tense moments between the guardians and the fearling, silence even spreading out around them as all the Yeti stopped their work in a wave to turn and stare. Then the tiny tooth fairy traveling with them diffused the situation, flying into Larry's face and scolding him slightly before flying over to Jokul and scolding him a lot more loudly, which earned her a whine from the fearling, and it was odd how there were multiple tones in his voice not just when he spoke but when he growled or whined as well apparently, but he didn't seem inclined to attack her.

“Well... I suppose we ought to get going then...” Bunny finally said, his own grip on the fearling nearly as fierce as the fearling's grip on him, and North nodded, noting that Sandy and Tooth did as well, before leading the rest of the way to his workshop. There were a few chairs here and there for his friends to sit in, they had been acquired over the decades as their visits became more frequent. 

“Well... was exciting, let us not be doing again any time soon.” North grumbled, falling into his working chair with a sigh, even as a small fleet of elves carried in plates of cookies and jugs of eggnog. 

“Gotta agree with you there mate.” Bunny said quietly, settling himself down in his usual chair too though it wasn't usual for him to have someone in his lap clinging to him. When Bunny settled, Jokul ended up with his legs around the rabbit's lap, and his face still buried in the thick chest fur his fingers had a death grip on. 

“Exciting? North, he could have wrecked the production room... You know that the Yeti would never have stood for that and then the North Pole might have gotten leveled in the resulting brawl, you've seen him fight, why is he even here I don't understand what is going through your mind never mind Bunny stealing it, I can't believe you invited it into the North Pole of all places only two months out from Christmas...” Tooth's nervous tirade drawled off as Sandy came to float in front of her face where she was hovering, too keyed up to take her usual seat near the fire. 

A sand image of Jokul's face appeared above Sandy's head, followed by the image of a tooth box and a question mark, which made Tooth frown. 

“Well... yes, I have his human memories... I don't see how...” She was cut off by a new series of images above Sandy's head as the dream sprite started practically dancing in place with excitement, the image of a deformed fearling above his head touching the memory box and then turning into Jokul, and North found himself intrigued by the idea. 

“Sandy might have point. Never know what may help... Tooth, could you please bring boy's tooth box to North Pole?” North couldn't help but be hopeful that she would, it would both give her time to calm down and it had a strong possibility of actually helping the strange creature they found in their midst. 

“Alright... but you keep an eye on it until I get back. If I find the North Pole leveled when I return I will definitely not help rebuild it or do anything but point and laugh at you.” Tooth stated, and North chuckled even as she darted towards a window, Sandy quickly going with her after giving a cheeky grin to North and Bunny. 

North understood actually, at this point in time none of them needed to be wandering around alone, there was no telling what Pitch would get up to since they had apparently stolen his apprentice. “Now... Bunny, can you be telling me exactly what has been happening? And be starting from beginning.” he said, turning to where the pooka was sitting in the chair. It seemed that Jokul had relaxed a bit now that Tooth and Sandy were gone, slumping on Bunny instead of clinging to him. 

“Well mate, that's complicated, but I'll try.” Bunny stated, starting on his story.

* * *

Sandy knew the boy, had known the boy long ago, when the boy thought he was human. He had watched over the boy, both because the boy needed it and because the boy was special, so very special he didn't even know. He had been hurt when Pitch took the boy, very very angry with his old friend for doing this horrible thing to such a special child. It was clear now that this thing was not so hopeless as he had thought, no one had ever been able to save those turned to fearlings. Not him, not the other dream star pilots, not the Tszars, no one... It had enraged him to find out what Pitch had done, but he never could bring himself to fight the special boy. Instead he had been a bit cowardly and left that to the other Guardians as he tried to take out his frustrations on the one who deserved it. 

The Fearling Master Pitch Black. As much as Sandy loved the man who had once been Kozmotis Pitchner, he loathed Pitch Black. He knew the other Guardians would be surprised if they ever discovered the true extent and depth of his emotions involving the nightmare king, or how they contradicted each other. He was careful though, he would never let it stop him, and he would never forget the unforgivable things that Pitch Black had done. 

That didn't mean he wouldn't get melancholy about his dear friend some times, and he doubted the others knew about the times he would take eggnog to the highest peaks of the world and share them with Manny and his Snegurochka because they understood. They had lost something wonderful to the fearlings as well, and had to watch as it was tainted... 

Shaking his head and bringing himself back to here and now instead of regret and memory, Sandy looked around, watching all of Tooth's little fairies as they searched here and there for the tooth box that belonged to the boy who had become Jokul Frosti. 

“If I knew.... Oh... Right, check under Jack Frost or similar.” Tooth was saying, and Sandy chuckled his quiet chuckle, wondering if the teeth would be there or under his human name or even his true name... It would take them a while yet to find them. Grinning, Sandy got in on it, patrolling his way through rooms and rooms of neatly stacked little tooth boxes, looking for a face he knew but hadn't dared hope could be saved. It was a strange feeling, and one Sandy was trying not to let be contagious. After all, they had tried to save Kozmotis before... it hadn't worked then, and things hadn't changed enough to warrant the hope that it could work now.

* * *

Pitch Black paced his lair, fearlings scuttling out of his way with each step and hissing their displeasure at him as he growled and paced more. How dare those Guardians take what he had rightfully stolen?

The boy was his, imbued with his power, turned into his tool and toy, and for them to take him with them was unthinkable, inconceivable even. With all the power that he had poured into creating his Fearling Prince, the boy shouldn't have been able to do anything but go for their throats the moment they tried to take him. He had twisted everything in his mind, had done everything in his considerable power to destroy anything in him that the Guardians could use against him, could use to influence his sweet prince. 

Sweet, tasty, delightful Prince... Oh, the Fearling didn't feel fear himself, not anymore and it was a shame because when he had it had been delightful, but apprehension? Anxiety? Agitation, trepidation, unease, dismay? All of the smaller but still as tasty cousins of fear that the boy felt constantly. Pitch should be able to pinpoint the boy anywhere in the world by zeroing in on these emotions in him, but they weren't there. These were the only things the boy could feel, he had made certain of it over the decades of time between taking him and turning him to a fearling. He had shattered the core before he could devour it, all the more shame, but he had worked hard to taint and corrupt that child... 

Even if there was something he was missing, somehow Jokul had retained vestiges of what made Jack so special, he was wild under the surface, and the Guardians would never be able to control him. The deep throated chuckle that welled up within him set the fearlings off, and soon the haunting echo of fear inducing laughter was rolling through the cavernous lair.

* * *

Jokul didn't dream... when he was exhausted and unconscious more often than not he was plagued by nightmares and unidentifiable terrors that would wake him long before he got the rest he needed. Even when the laughter and joy of others kept those horrors away, the best he could manage was a restful doze that would leave him feeling less exhausted when he awoke. 

Jokul didn't dream... at least, he never had before. The images behind his eyes had nothing to do with the Sandman though, images of a woman with brown eyes and hair, a little girl smiling uncertainly at him underneath a full afternoon moon, a strong man who's brown eyes held pride. Laughter had followed him his whole life, through summer and well into the joyous winter. Laughter that was there in every image, the joy in bringing that laughter to others, right back to the earliest images, of a distorted woman with white-blond hair and brilliant blue eyes, and a tall man with silvery gold hair and eyes that saw everything. The distorted knowledge somewhere deep inside that he had known all manner of love and acceptance and even horror long before his Master had claimed him... 

He didn't dream, didn't feel the capacity any more than Jack could help remembering now that he was awakening...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really hoping I didn't put too much foreshadowing in there... was I too heavy with the foreshadowing? Pitch is madder than the march hare by the way... in more than one way... 
> 
> Sooo... I hope ya'all know that my husband wants me to start charging per chapter... I keep laughing in his face...


	9. Chapter 9

“I'm still not sure how they fell into the coloring pool, but these two have been thick as thieves since the little one led me to him.” Aster said fondly, looking down at where the little tooth fairy, might as well call her Baby Tooth the way Jack did, was asleep on the fearlings chest where the fearling was sleeping in his lap. “Tooth suggested asking for your help... though I'm pretty sure she hopes you'll talk me out of this.” Aster said, trying to keep his last few words neutral. 

He knew better than any other what could happen to those who tried to turn the Fearlings back to their original forms, but he couldn't bring himself not to hope for this one to be different. As the Guardian of Hope, it was sometimes all he had. 

“Hah... tough luck with that then. моя прекрасная колибри, she does not understand I think... Your core, it is hope, and you have tried to hide it my friend but we have all seen the hope you have had for fearling boy...” North stated, and Aster chuckled softly, looking down at the sleeping duo curled in his lap again. 

“I don't know what it is North. I couldn't... can't give up hope on him.” Aster stated, one paw running through chill frost white hair as the fearling shifted slightly. 

“Well... can you be letting me see the 'seed' little tooth fairy found?” North asked, leaning forward, obviously interested, and Aster nodded, holding out his paw with the small black pearl laying in the 'palm'. “What... what is... Oh.” Aster watched as North's features lit up, the old Cossack brightening visibly as understanding dawned in his features. “удивительный! If... if this is what I think it is, I have never seen such thing! Thought such thing was not possible! Also explains fearling boy's fondness of Bunny. Hold still.” North darted to one of his shelves, pulling out some manner of magnifying glass before coming back. “I am wanting to take 'seed' and examine more closely, but fearling boy would probably not appreciate.” 

“Jack wouldn't appreciate it? Why not?” Aster felt his hackles rising at the thought of North taking it away from him, and he had to carefully examine that emotion as North examined the sphere in his hand. 

“Is drawing off of Bunny's life force, might be why you are calling it a seed, yes? Because it is growing while you are holding. As symbol of spring and life, your life force is very strong yes? So seed is drawing on that life force to grow. Would not think that little fairy or Tooth holding it would achieve the same effect.” 

Aster frowned at North's words, focusing once more on the tiny spark of life and the bright hope surrounding it inside that tiny dark blue seed. “It's not growing though.” He stated, confused by North's words. He hadn't felt the spark of life inside of it do more than react to his power, and he was good with life, hell he left flowers wherever he opened one of his tunnels and all the trees and plants came back to life when he took over in spring. 

“Well... if you say so. I do not think though that you are quite right though, seems to be growing to me.” North stated with a shrug, and Aster frowned again. Sure, he knew North had some skills in magic of a few kinds, it was why they had wanted to consult the Cossack in the first place, but could he actually sense something that Aster couldn't?

“What about his staff?” He asked suddenly, remembering the enchanted piece of wood that the boy had been fighting with when they first 'met' him only a few decades ago. He knew North had studied it for a while and still had it tucked away in one of his storage rooms somewhere. “Would that have anything to do with everything inside of the seed?”

“Hmm... might, might not. Determined that spells acted as valve to control power flow, not sure what other effects are though.” North stated, looking thoughtful and Aster nodded. 

“Well, lets go get it then? I kinda doubt it can do much harm.” Something inside of Aster was certain that the staff would help the boy fight off being a fearling, or something like that. It had been a very long time since he dabbled in experimental magics, and he had always been more adept at chemistry, mechanics, and the other branches of science, but one thing he remembered was that you were supposed to follow gut feelings when it came to magic. They weren't always right, but when experimenting things usually came out better that way, and if this wasn't experimental then Aster had no idea what would be. 

“Alright... I have it in store room, west wing.” North stated, sighing as he got up, and Aster carefully moved his sleeping charges so that he could get up, replacing his lap with a pillow. “You are sure is safe to leave fearling boy here?” 

“North, I've seen your store rooms, you're going to need help finding it. It should be fine to leave Jack here for now, Baby Tooth will probably come get us when he wakes up.” Aster stated with a shrug, leaving out that the last time he had left the boy sleeping the boy had come directly to him upon waking. He wasn't particularly sure it would be a good idea to have the boy around all the magical artifacts in North's store rooms, but that was primarily because of the trouble the kid had gotten up to in his warren. He hoped they would find the staff soon and be able to examine it more closely in conjunction with the seed, because he shuddered as he wondered what kind of trouble the boy could get up to if Baby Tooth didn't come get him like he hoped she would.

* * *

Jokul waited until they had been out of the room for several heartbeats before he opened his eyes, looking around carefully. He had been listening to the discussion, and had understood more of what the Rabbit and the Santa Clause had talked about than he thought they would realize even if he had been dozing in and out while their words were washing over him. Their discussion was mixing with the strange images in his head, the brown haired people laughing and the pale haired people watching over him... 

It was a lot, and it made Jokul feel uneasy as he wondered what was going to happen to him next. He had frightened the Rabbit earlier, had frightened the Santa Clause and the Sandman and especially he had frightened the Tooth Fairy... and he had enjoyed it, feasting on their fear for the most part before the Rabbit had distracted him. He didn't want to fight them, but they had feared that, so he had prepared for it... He hadn't seen a way to avoid giving them their fear, until the Rabbit was in front of him, offering another way. 

Sighing, Jokul looked up to where soft light lit one of the walls of the small, cluttered room. The great wall of ice seemed familiar but not quite right. Shifting to stand up, and consequently waking up Baby Tooth, he moved over to the wall, and after a few moments the sleepy fairy followed him, looking at him in confusion as he placed one hand on the ice, wondering why it didn't seem quite right... and power flowed out of his fingers, reshaping the ice into carvings and intricate designs much like the frost always at his beck and call. Startled, he pulled away, staring at the carvings for several moments, before laughing to himself at the nonsensical images they formed. 

Chuckling slightly he turned to Baby Tooth, who had a look of fond amusement on her face where she hovered before shaking her head, and scolding him slightly for changing something that belonged to someone else. He waved off her concerns, though he didn't put his hand back to the ice, instead moving to the door and listening for a moment before quietly opening it and slipping out and along what few shadows lined the walls. He didn't feel like following the Rabbit and the Santa Clause, but he had caught a glimpse of this place earlier as he followed them in, and now he wanted to look around more. 

It was amazing, all of the great shaggy people making things and bustling here and there with activity, and tiny brightly colored creatures running around getting under foot and causing mischief. It was chaos, pure and orchestrated to get things done, and Jokul found himself torn between loving it and not wanting to be anywhere near it. On the one hand, it was the exact opposite of his masters lair, where the fearlings lurked in every shadow, only coming out of them when Master called and there was never vigorous activity unless they were feeding. On the other hand, it was too busy, and Jokul didn't know where to look or how to navigate without getting stepped on by the huge fuzzy creatures creating the bustle. Light as a shadow, he flitted from empty place to empty place, making his way higher so that he could get a better view of everything, and he eventually found himself on a platform near the upper part of the humongous room. There was some kind of control panel here, but it wasn't being used and this little island of calm seemed like the perfect place to look down at the rest of the room around an enormous globe, at least ten times the size of the small wrought iron one in his Masters lair. 

It was amazing to see everything that was happening, and Jokul let out laughter, simply enjoying watching for now, before something caught his eye. Up above there was an open panel in the ceiling, some kind of open skylight that framed the full moon perfectly, shining its light down directly on Jokul. Finding himself looking up and into the light coming down, Jokul froze, a multitude of emotions coursing through him all at once, things he hadn't felt in a long time, and things he felt fairly often. 

Apprehension at being directly in front of his Masters greatest enemy, worry about what the Man in the Moon would do about it, enjoyment at being in that pure, soft light, longing for... for something he couldn't name.

* * *

Clapping to himself with excitement, Sandy pulled out the box with the picture of what the fearling boy had looked like as a human on it, practically dancing through the air as he headed towards where Tooth and a small contingent of her fairies were looking nearby. He had found the boy's memories, and now Tooth would be able to help him!

“What? Oh... you found it! How did you find it? Why wasn't it where it belonged in the F section... oh, his name wasn't Frost when he lost the teeth, how did that happen, oh they're so cute just as cute as the teeth he has now and pretty well taken care of considering that it was two hundred years ago and people hadn't invented flossing yet...” Tooth started to rattle on, holding the tooth case like it was a precious treasure for a few moments and simply smiling down at it. 

Sandy let her coo and awe over it, her girls coming to coo and appreciate the pristine white teeth too for several minutes. Finally, sandy shook his head, still grinning, and touched her arm to get her attention, forming the image of the fearling boy above his head and then an image of North and Bunny as well for good measure. Now that they had found this, they needed to be getting back to the North Pole so they could see how the memory box would help. 

“Oh! Your right, we should get this back to the Guys! Alright, back to work girls, don't forget to check in with the European division, they've had some trouble in France lately...” Tooth states, calling last minute directions to her miniatures as she and Sandy dart for the nearest door sized window to head back north.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya'all are awesome! I'll have the next chapter next time I get internet access, it's almost half written... heh...
> 
> BTW, question for everyone... do you prefer the two thousand word chapters I've been posting, or would you be willing to wait just a little longer between posts for longer chapters?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might I recommend a sound track of Winterspell by Two Steps from Hell, followed by Europa by Globus then Wizards in Winter by Trans Siberian Orchestra? (if it takes that long to read o.o)

Jokul could feel understanding of what the Moon was saying, could practically hear the light speaking to him, but he couldn't actually understand. Something inside of him did, and he felt resentment rising up in him, hot and angry and foreign enough to startle whatever deep inside of him was listening to that light. Frost flowers suddenly covered the floor around his bare feet, leaving the surface slippery and cold before the sounds of jingling bells distracted him. Looking down, he laughed out loud as he realized that a handful of the tiny people with pointy hats were slipping and sliding on the frosted over floor, the bells on their hats making that noise that had distracted him from the Moon. 

Chuckling to himself, he used a touch, just a touch and it was hard to focus but more would be bad, to extend the radius of the ice covering the ground until the tiny people who had been standing off to the side and laughing were slipping and sliding as well. Flakes of snow began to form in the air as Jokul laughed at all the sliding tiny people, making them laugh too. His spirits high, Jokul darted away to look for something else to do to make these people laugh, he liked it when they laughed. He spared one last glance out the sky light, looking at the Moon for only a moment before he was on his way, leaving small patches of ice and tiny drifts of snow here and there for the little people to play on. 

The larger furry people were a lot harder to make laugh, though a few of them took joy in the antics of the tiny belled people. A few of the furry people rumbled at him as he went past them, but they seemed more confused than angry, and they weren't scared. It was refreshing, and Jokul found himself enjoying wandering around and playing with the little people. The Furry ones seemed to be treating him the same as the littler ones for now, simply rolling their eyes and moving around him when they needed to instead of reacting how he had expected based on what had happened earlier. 

He hadn't thought that they would be this accepting of his presence in their midst, but he found himself enjoying it, and he did everything in his power to try to find out what would make them smile and laugh the way the ice and snow made the belled ones smile and laugh. 

He forgot about that goal quickly when he found himself in a large, open hall, lined with doors that only came up to his chest. Curious, he looked inside and found himself face to face with a great horned beast, and he froze, wondering what form of creature the Santa Claus could keep this far north that would rend and slay in battle. It looked a great deal like some of the fearlings, but it didn't react nearly the same way at all when one of the tall furry people put something in Jokul's hand and thrust it towards the great horned beast. Since he expected sharp fangs to tear through his flesh, he was pleasantly surprised when the dull, flat teeth of the creature sank into the large apple he was holding. He looked up and chuckled in delight at the grin and chuckle the tall furry person was giving him, before it spoke to him, informing him that the Reindeer loved fresh fruits and there was one in each stall.

Jokul wasn't sure how long he spent wandering through the stalls and feeding large, crisp fruits and vegetables to the reindeer, but he was quite happily occupied, and the Yeti were quite happy that he was mostly out of the way.

* * *

Tooth was missing, and North was seeing everything in tones of red. “PITCH DID WHAT!!!” His voice practically shook the beams of his workshop, he was so loud that his voice could be heard echoing through the North Pole, Yeti and Elves everywhere looking up from their pursuits as they wondered what exactly Pitch Black had done this time to enrage North. 

Sandy's images came at a breakneck pace, and Bunny groaned, biting out his own annoyed set of words. “Cant read ya that fast, bloody larikin...” Stamping his foot in place in his own frustration, Sandy slowed down, showing images of a miniature Tooth and himself being chased by fearlings. Exclamation points and curls of anger and other emotions interspersed the images, especially when the image of Tooth became overwhelmed by the fearlings and the image of himself turned to follow, only for them to disappear on him, leaving the image of himself alone on his head. 

North went very still, well aware that he was still seeing the world in the wrong shade he was so angry that Pitch Black's fearlings had dared touch his beloved. 

“Why did they abduct Tooth?” Bunny asked, eliciting an image of a tooth box and the fearling boy, confirming that they had found the box, and doing a great deal to explain why Tooth had been abducted, which set Bunny to swearing a blue streak. 

They had not found the staff in their hours of searching, and when the Yeti informed them of Sandy's return they had also informed them that the fearling boy had gone wandering, causing patches of ice and snow that got in the yeti's way, but seemed to delight the elves. Phil had finally distracted him in the stables, giving the boy access to the fresh fruits and vegetables that were special treats for North's reindeer. The boy had been in there ever since, apparently happy to wander from one stall to the next with food for the animals. 

“Get fearling boy...” North finally said, having an excellent idea what Pitch Black wanted in exchange for getting Toothiana back. “We will speak with him... find out if he knows of Pitch's plans. Then we hunt down Pitch Black and make him suffer for daring to take Tooth from us.” 

It took the Yeti several minutes, but one of them came back, gesturing and talking enough to send North into another fit as his voice once again rose loud. “What do you mean Fearling Boy is missing! Find him! Is no way he left North Pole, would have sensed fearling at wards! Get elves looking too, boy must be found quickly!”

* * *

The tone in North's voice was more than enough to make Aster shudder as he realized the same thing that the old Cossack had, that there was only one thing they had that would warrant Pitch kidnapping one of their number instead of fighting her and Sandy first. He had kidnapped Aster, but that had seemed less planned out and more a spur of the moment choice on Pitch's part. 

This seemed much more deliberate, and Aster wasn't sure exactly what was going to happen now, it made him nervous the way that North was talking though, and he wondered for one heart stopping moment if North was going to actually offer Jack in exchange for Tooth. He was certain it wouldn't work for one thing, and for another the thought of Pitch Black touching Jack again made Aster want to tear the Boogieman's body apart at the joints, starting at his toes and finger tips and working his way as slowly as possible inwards. Jack was still a child, spirit or not, and what Pitch had done had been unforgivable. 

“Come on... lets get a solid plan worked out.” Aster said, having a very good idea why Pitch wanted Jack back. He had been extremely sparing on details when he told North about the fearling that had emerged from the boy, having left out almost entirely the fact that Pitch black had fucked the boy before hand, and the memory of that was plenty to make him gag in revulsion, earning an odd look from Sandy. “Jus... jus don't ask us to trade Jack for Tooth... there will be another way.” Aster said quietly to the dream sprite, and the determined look that came over Sandy's face was enough to reassure Aster. 

They would presumably know soon enough what was happening, because there was a shriek of the wards signaling a fearling attack of some kind. Cursing in Russian, North changed direction, leading them to where the Fearlings were as the Yeti began arming themselves for battle. 

Aster was surprised to see that it was a single fearling, the disjointed and ungainly body twisted and hunched where it waited on the steps of the front door, not yet making a move to attack. It held an envelope, one it reached forward and dropped on the ground as North approached, it's sharp teeth making a wicked grin on it's misshapen face. Wary, as he ought to be, North reached down and picked up the envelope, keeping his eye on the fearling, which started chitering at him gleefully when he opened the envelope and paled at whatever he found inside.

Cursing again North shook out a single piece of paper and a bright gold and green feather into his hand, before dropping both to the ground as he leveled one sharp saber at the fearling angrily. “What is meaning of demand?”

Glaring, Aster moved forward enough to pick up the note, ignoring Tooth's feather for now and nearly saw a red haze as he read the four words inscribed in an ornate, scrolling hand. Wishing now more than ever he glared at the fearling, just about ready to shred it with his bare claws as it continued to chuckle at him. It was unnerving, the way it simply chuckled and laughed, and Aster felt his hackles rising on end even as he heard the soft swish of sand that signified that Sandy had readied his whips. 

None of the Guardians got the opportunity to strike though, all three of them freezing in shock as a shadow dropped out of the rafters, landing directly on the fearling and making it squeal. Aster wasn't sure what the others were thinking, but he knew his mind was almost completely blank as Jack sank his fangs into the the fearling, tearing out and swallowing great chunks of shadow even as the creature squealed and died, its shadows starting to dissipate. 

When the last of the shadows had faded, Jack looked up at them, both defiant, and if Aster was any judge, scared, his bright blue eyes cloudy with shadows in them in a way that made all of Aster's fur stand on end. Swallowing his own nerves, Aster looked down at the note in one paw, and the bright blue marble with cloudy shadows dancing inside of it in the other paw. The light and shadow in the marble had separated, leaving two distinct colors of blue, and Aster couldn't help but feel that this was a good thing. 

But the words on the note, and the fact that it had been written with a quill plucked from Tooth... he didn't know what to do next. 

The note was simple, four words that made Aster cold and hot and angry all at once. 'Bring me my Prince.'

* * *

Baby Tooth was shuddering and crying, sobbing about her mother when she caught up to Jokul, and it was enough that he had stopped paying attention to the huge beasts in the stalls, though most of them were now watching him, perhaps cued in by the cessation of his laughter that something had changed. She spoke to him, sobbing about how she had felt her mothers fear and anger though their unbreakable bond, then had felt nothing, save an aching emptiness where she should be able to feel her mother in her head and heart and teeth. It hurt and she didn't know what to do and Jokul held her as she babbled, cradling the tiny fairy to his chest with both confusion and anger. Someone had harmed Baby Tooth, and he could guess from the symptoms exactly who it was. 

The rush of anger that coursed through him was cold, colder than shadow and wind put together. It was ice, in his chest and his gut, clarifying his mind like a perfect crystal to refract and recreate his thoughts. Crooning to her softly, Jokul tucked the little fairy into the hood of his cloak, before turning his attention to the shadows. He could practically feel the fearling approach, and carefully through the shadows he made his way without being seen or heard to where he could watch and see what was happening. He couldn't deny the rush of fear that went through him when he saw the Guardians examining the letter that the Fearling had delivered, knowing what the demand was and knowing that he would fight them if he had to to keep them from handing him back over to his Master. 

If his anger was cold, his hatred was hot, burning in him every time he thought of the being that he served, who used him and his power in every way he pleased. Jokul did not like being a tool used that way, to create more fearlings, to slake the lust in the body that ruled them, to fight his masters enemies when his master was not strong enough to fight on his own. He was a Fearling Prince, a being to be feared and rule in his own right, and it was time to remind the fearlings of that, and his master as well. 

Sinking his fangs into the shadows felt very good, as did feeling the creatures fear and anger at being torn into. It struggled, but it forgot that it had been born of him, and he was stronger, simply reclaiming the strength that was his by right. When he had devoured the creature, the few wisps of shadow remaining disappearing into the air and light, he looked up at the Guardians, knowing that they would be angry with him, and wouldn't understand that there would have been no more answers forthcoming from the Fearling. 

There was fear in them, but his hunger was sated for now by the fearling, and he did not act on it. There was revulsion on the Santa Clauses face, and horror on the Rabbits. The Sand Man was curiously unaffected by his display, and Jokul wondered if he had expected this when the Fearling creature had shown itself to them. But the Sand Man was grinning, and Jokul found his own face answering the expression though judging from how the other two stepped back it was a much more sinister expression. He was surprised at how much practice he seemed to be getting in the expression lately, but he liked it a lot. 

Moving forward, he changed his attention to the Rabbit rather than the Sand Man, looking down at his paws as he approached him. Wrapping his fingers around the one paw, the one holding his precious treasure, he looked up at bright green eyes, before wrapping his arms around the Rabbit and breathing in a brief moment of calm, clearing the fear from his system even as he used its strength to keep him steady. Then he was pulling away, his fingers taking the note and tearing it clean in half even as he looked up, stepping back just far enough to face all three of the Guardians gathered here. 

When he spoke, his voices didn't tremble, didn't waver, and held only the ice cold inferno of his rage. “I'll go... you'll retrieve your friend.” 

“Now wait a minute! You're not going back to that..!” The Rabbits words were cut off by Jokul's chuckle, his voices reverberating through the room and making the tall, furry people watching shudder though the Guardians were all made of sterner stuff and merely took a step back from him. 

“Your tunnel... she'll be in the cages. I'll distract Master.” He stated, before walking backwards till he could reach the shadows. For all his bravado he couldn't leave yet, there was something else he needed before he could face his Master so that Baby Tooth's mother could be rescued. 

Flitting once more from shadow to shadow, Jokul found himself drawn from room to room, deeper into the North Pole until he was in some manner of storage room. There, in the back high on a shelf was the broken staff that once healed could both amplify and channel his power. 

Remaining quiet and unseen, he once more made his way out of the fortress that was the North Pole, opting to go out the nearest window instead of making his way to a door. In the bright snow outside, he could feel something watching him, something old and powerful, but he had no time for it now. His staff was in his hands, and he examined the break, not having seen this bit of enchanted wood more than a dozen times since his Master had taken him, and the last time he had lost it to the very woman he was now hoping to help. But Master 'knew' the extent of his power without his staff there to channel it. He couldn't control himself if he used too much, and he never wanted to lose control, but with his staff...

Spotting how it had broken, Jokul fitted the pieces back together. He didn't know what do do from there though, but he couldn't give up, Baby Tooth was still crying in his hood. Inside of him though, something knew what to do, and closing his eyes he let it channel through him, and when he opened his eyes again the staff was whole, held together and healing with a thick layer of frost covering it from both ends. 

Grinning darkly, he was ready, and with a whoop of excitement he jumped into the wind, feeling something inside of him guide it to their will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to attempt a time limit instead of a word goal, thank you everyone who gave your opinions. :3 They did help... to be honest, I'm not quite happy with having such short chapters sometimes, so I'm going to try to see if I can't get the average up by five or seven hundred words... I'm not going to make you wait more than about two days though if I can help it. 
> 
> (I'm getting home internet access soon so I'll be able to control post times a lot more closely! Yay!) 
> 
> Erm... might want some tissues handy for the next few chapters, and I can see an end in sight for this story... which is going to be the first of perhaps three to five.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yea... didn't plan to have this out so fast, but one, I had some free time with having memorial day off of work, and two I had some internet since I'm visiting a friend at the moment... so, yay! Bonus chapter!
> 
> ... 
> 
> I hate fight scenes.. and Huge warning for Tooth Torture too!

She was curled up around the precious golden box, having managed to keep it away from the shadows and fearlings, though at an expense she was certain the other Guardians wouldn't understand. She was in a hanging cage, like some bizzare form of pet on display, and the fearlings were chittering and laughing at her, their claws and spikes reaching in to try to take the box from her. Though she managed to keep it safe, it was at the expense of taking claws and spikes to her skin, and she huddled in the center of the cage, as far as she could get from the grasping shadows. 

Gashes and scrapes covered her arms and legs and back, but she wouldn't let those things get their hands on this box, and the beautiful teeth and memories inside. “What a stubborn little bird.” Pitch Black's chuckle made Tooth angry, but there was fear as well. What if the others didn't get here in time and he managed to get the box from her? What new ways would he use it to torment the innocent soul he had corrupted? She couldn't let that happen, not now, not ever to anyone. It didn't matter that she didn't trust the fearling prince, didn't think this could help, these were precious memories and Pitch Black was not going to get his hands on them. 

“Why don't you come in here yourself and see how stubborn?” She spat, lifting her head enough to glare at him, pure hatred in her eyes. 

“And get to close to you? The last of your kind... the last winged one... Oh if I could turn you into a fearling... you would become my Fearling Queen... I wonder if the fearlings born of you would be as delightful as the ones born of my prince?” And wasn't that a revelation that made the bile in her stomach want to come straight up. “Alas... there's a reason I exterminated your people. You're useless to me save as a pleasant diversion. Perhaps I'll show you what kind of diversions I prefer when my Prince comes home. We could pluck each feather out individually until we find what we want...” The leer in his voice made Tooth shudder, and she was startled by the intensity of the fear that fostered in her. It was less fear for herself though, and more for how this happening to her would affect the others, Bunny and Sandy, but especially her Nick... 

“You'll never succeed, I'll fight you with everything I have and I'll die before I let that pass.” Her words were practically a shrill war cry, her wings fluttering in anger even as she glared into the shadows, clawed hands grasping at the tips of them before she calmed again. Nick... she couldn't let this monster get any kind of satisfaction from her, not her body, not her charge. 

“Oh... I assure you, you'll wish you were dead long before I let you pass, you disgusting feathered scum.” Pitch's words were like tar, making old fears and worries about her appearance distract her. She was half human after all, and not terribly pretty as far as humans went... and she wasn't particularly attractive for the Sisters of Flight either.. not that there were any more of them after this monster and his fearling armies had annihilated them. 

“I hate you Pitch.” She managed to gasp out, tears in her eyes as she curled tight around the tooth box, focusing only on her purpose. “I swear I'll see you destroyed...” 

“In your dreams, Tooth Fairy... oh, wait... Dreams don't come into this, do they.” Pitch's cold laugh echoed around the vast cavern, before he stopped, and Tooth risked looking up and regreted it as she saw the cruel grin on his face, his face turned as he looked into the distance. “Or perhaps they do... I'll be back soon with my prince... keep her amused.” He instructed the fearlings, who hissed and chittered happily, claws and spikes thrusting into the cage with more force and impunity as he disappeared, his laughter accentuating her cries of pain as she was struck again and again.

* * *

Jokul stood on a frozen lake, waiting, calling through the shadows for his precious 'master' to come and get him, like he didn't know a hundred or more ways in and out of the lair. Baby Tooth was still in his hood, crying and sad, and it was more than enough to keep Jokul angry on the calm icy edge he danced on. He wasn't sure how long it took, but he felt his Master approaching and found himself grinning, shadow fangs forming over his own teeth. 

When his master did show up, Jokul had started chuckling, the eerie sound of his voices rolling across the frozen clearing, dark frost patterns forming on the ice under his bare feet. When he turned to look at where his master loomed in the shadows under tall oaks, the manic grin was bright on his face. 

“Did you escape, or did they turn you lose?” Master mused, oozing out of the shadows and towards Jokul, an answering smirk on his pale features though Jokul could taste his unease. 

“I escaped of course.” Technically it was even true, he mused as he leaned against his staff, treating it like a narrow wall to lean against. By all rights the crook ended thing should have toppled to the ground and taken Jokul with it, but it held firm because he wanted it to. Judging by the look in his masters eyes, and the plain shock when Jokul spoke to him, his dear master hadn't expected a response in words. 

“I see... Tell me Jokul... what changed?” Pitch asked, moving in a slow circle around the fearling prince, eyes narrowed in suspicion, and Jokul let out another rolling chuckle that echoed over the ice and seemed to multiply. 

“I woke up, Master.” The final word was said with a sneer as he shifted to keep his master in view, which seemed to put an expression of rage on the elder being's features. “You aren't pleased? I'm finally the proper Fearling Prince you've been trying to mold me into... I thought you would be happy.” One of his voices was laughter and amusement, while the other was cold and anger as he spoke, the harmonics overlaying each other in a way that made Pitch shudder. 

“You are my Fearling Prince... but still not a proper one.” Pitch's voice was bored, and condescending, his frown dissapointed as he came to a stop in front of Jokul. “You don't have any respect.” He growled, and Jokul laughed as he jumped out of the way of Pitch's lazy attack, floating on the wind for just a moment before dropping once more onto the ice, tendrils of frost and shadow patterning the ice under his toes. 

“Respect? Dearest master, I've nothing but utmost respect for you... oh wait, that's loathing, not respect.” He chuckled, dodging another attack, this one quicker and more precise as it very nearly caught him, catching one of the edges of his dark cloak. 

“Impudent brat.” Pitch snarled, shadows rising to his will and lashing at Jokul, though the former ice sprite chuckled instead of worrying. He was a Fearling Prince, and shadows were as much his domain as they were Pitch Blacks, and it was time to remind his dear master of that. Gradually, so that Pitch didn't notice as Jokul dodged and weaved between the shadows, the fearling boy poured bits of his power in the shadows. He couldn't wrest full control from the nightmare king, but when he was ready, he froze the shadows, keeping them still just long enough for him to slam his staff into his master's face as hard as he could. 

The single tooth sliding across the surface of the ice was the only sound for several moments before Pitch Black rose up to his full height, shadows boosting him even higher as he loomed above his apprentice. “You will regret that.” He promised, his voice a hiss that was barely audible over Jokul's dual voiced laughter.

* * *

Aster didn't like it, but Jack had already gone to distract Pitch some how, and North was eager to get Tooth back from the Boogieman. Putting the marble into a pouch against his chest in the new bandolier North had gotten him, along with new high quality weapons that would make things easier for him to fight, though they had christmas décor on them instead of his Easter or even Australian designs. 

“Come on.. this way.” Aster stated, following his tunnels back to Pitch's lair, determined to get them there with enough time to rescue Tooth and get the hell out so he could make certain that Pitch didn't get his hands on Jokul again. North and Sandy followed him through his tunnels, uncharacteristically quiet and somber in turn as they headed to what was almost certainly some manner of trap. He slowed as the reached the lair, looking around for the thin spot in the shadows where he had left, and it didn't take long to find it. He was careful as he emerged from the hole, his weapons ready in case Pitch was still here. He wasn't, and Aster didn't hear any fearlings close by, so he motioned for the others to come up, keeping on guard. 

“Where are the fearlings?” North asked, his voice a quiet rumble as he looked around, before Aster pointed his attention upwards. There were swarms of them in the shadows, attacking one of the cages, and the Pooka growled as he realized what they must be attacking. 

They didn't intend to get into a fight here, but against ordinary fearlings? It wasn't much of a fight, more of an extermination, all three of the lose guardians mowing through the creatures like too tall grass that just needed to be handled with a machete. Thankfully, Aster knew all about the uses of that, and he lost himself in this battle, letting his mind clear and focus only on the next move, and the next, destroying fearling after fearling. It was taking too long though to clear the chamber, and fearlings seemed to be seeping from every shadow, nook and crevice. 

“Sandy, break the lock and get Tooth out of that cage!” Aster called, launching a barrage of exploding eggs into the cluster of fearlings closest to the sand man to clear a path to the cage the evil creatures had been gathered around when they came in. Sandy didn't waste time, taking the clear path up to the cage and Aster didn't have any more time to pay attention to him as he fought to keep the Fearlings from rushing back to take on the dream sprite. 

He needn't have bothered with the fearlings, because soon there were vast swirls of golden sand scouring and destroying every one of them, and he looked up, shocked to see the look of pure rage on the normally jolly features of the Sand Man. Held gently in front of him, and thoroughly cocooned by Sandy's dream sand, was presumably Tooth, and now that they were no longer fighting fearlings North and Aster rushed forward to check her. 

Aster bit back several curses as Sandy gently deposited the bleeding sheila into North's tender grip, and though the old cossack was cursing up his own storm his hands were gentle and tender as he took her. “Bunny... snow globe, left pocket. Preset for North Pole...” The old cossack managed to say, and Aster nodded, reaching into the said pocket and quickly throwing the globe to the ground. North rushed through the portal, and Aster lingered long enough so that it closed without him. Sandy was still ruthlessly destroying fearlings, and the Easter Bunny turned to him for only a moment, before being satisfied that he wouldn't need help for a little while. 

“I'm going to get Jack... Pitch will probably come back here licking his wounds.” Aster stated, and Sandy nodded, something hard in his eyes that Aster didn't recognize. Understanding clear, Aster pulled out the small marble and focused on the feeling of the boy's essence, before dropping back into his tunnels and heading in the right direction. 

It was only a few seconds before he emerged again, just in time to see a huge scythe made of shadow swat Jack out of the air and down hard onto the ice, Pitch Black looming over the boy menacingly. 

Aster didn't pause to think about it, throwing an exploding googie directly into Pitch's face with a shout as he charged into the battle, trying very hard to ignore how wounded Jack was. There was dark blood on the boy's clothes and skin, pooling in horrible stains over frosted ice even as Aster continued his charges, pushing Pitch back. 

“Escaped... lying little Prince.” Pitch growled, as if to himself before pulling himself up and facing Aster, who had placed himself firmly between Jack and the Nightmare King. “I'll give you one chance, Pooka. Leave now... what transpires here is between me and my Prince... it does not involve you.” 

“Oh... I think it does involve me. You're not touching that boy again.” Aster growled, throwing his boomerangs quickly and pulling out his knife to fight the boogieman. Hand to hand or with bladed weapons, Aster was no slouch, though to be fair neither was Pitch. 

They were near evenly matched, which just shouldn't have been possible, it had always taken a group of Guardians to bring the boogieman down. 

“How dare you, I'll flay you alive, impudent rabbit!” Pitch screamed, loosing more and more control as he attacked wildly, which made it easy for Aster to dodge, and realize that something was seriously wrong with Pitch Black. He would wonder later how things had gone so wrong for the fearling king, but for now, he counted himself lucky that Pitch was so off his game. “You.. you have it don't you... Give it to me!”

“Give what to you, you galah drongo?” Aster asked, suddenly dodging a barrage of much more focused attacks, and definitely not liking the crazed look in Pitch Black's eyes. 

“The boy's Core! His magical essence... I thought it shattered but you have it, Don't you? That's why my beautiful obedient Prince is being so unruly... Oh you naughty bunny you... I'll flay the flesh from your body for this.” At the rate Aster's fur was standing on end and crawling along his skin, the pooka wouldn't be surprised if he ended up bald because his fur had run off. 

“His core... that... that's not possible...” He said, feeling for the marble back in its pouch in his bandolier, his magic touching it and feeling it flare as he realized that yes, it was the boy's core, that was what North had been getting at before they tried to find the kids staff... and it was pulsing with life now, and hope and so many things that Aster just couldn't recognize. 

“Give it to me.” Pitch stated, and suddenly every shadow within a hundred feet was writhing, including shadows that seemed to be coming from underneath Jack's skin if the boy's sudden anguished screams were any indication, and Aster's quick glance confirmed it. 

If he gave over the core... Pitch Black would stop torturing the boy... but the childs fate would become something far worse. He would become a Fearling in truth, something Aster was sure they would never be able to help again. The laughter, the stalking game, the bright joy that seemed to radiate from the boy as he played with Baby Tooth... all of that would be gone, never to be recovered. 

“Forgive me Jack...” He murmured, putting away his knife and taking the marble into his hand. Pitch Black was laughing now, a manic sound that echoed in the writhing shadows, wrapping around Jack's screams even as Aster looked up, his grip tight on the tiny thing, so small to carry so much weight. So fragile now that Aster knew what he was looking at. “You're never going to get this, Pitch.” 

Aster's voice was quiet, but it cut through screams and laughter none the less, causing the latter to stop... just in time for the sound of the tiny orb cracking to silence the former.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohgawd Bunny No! Bad Bunny, that is NOT what you were supposed to do! *smacks him with rolled up newspaper before crying*
> 
> ... on the other hand, next chapter should be fairly tame... just a flashback... or four...
> 
> Oh yea, sorry about fibbing when I said it wasn't a PART of his core.. I just kinda wanted to keep some suspense about what it was.. it's the whole core... how it got where it is now will be explained later.. next chapter, so you might not want to put the tissues away just yet...


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't vouch for quality, this chapter was started literally right after finishing the last one... so my brain is just a little twisty right now.

There was light, all around him, and his mother's face looked down at him, pale and soft, with long silver hair falling loose as her fingertips stroked his face, making him coo and giggle. His father looks in too, a single long tuft of golden hair curling in front of his rounded face. They're happy, and he reaches for dangling carved stars far above his tiny hands, happy himself to be here with his mother and father. His thoughts are simple though, and he falls asleep quickly, newborn strength exhausted easily. 

There is darkness, and fear, and he's alone and crying, but a soft golden light takes him and holds him safe, and he looks over the rough shoulder of a rounded man with much wilder hair than father at the wrecked remains of a crashed ship, a crashed pirate ship. Father wouldn't have dared act while he was in danger, but mother knew he was strong even as young as he was. Still, the bright one holding him couldn't keep him forever, or even for very long, and it would take a very long time for him to be able to return to his mother and father. 

He's alone again, this time in the forest, and someone large and clumsy stumbles over him, the brown haired and brown eyed man looking at him in shock even as the man picks him up, looking into the sky as the bright blue eyes of a baby watch him. “Well... look at you... what are you doing all alone out here...” The man asked, obviously nervous as he held the boy. “Wouldn't be a good Christian if I just left you though, now would I...” he asked, after staring at the boy for several moments, before sighing and turning, continuing to carry the tiny child. 

He's five human years old, and has nearly forgotten his true mother and father when his little sister is born. A little girl with brown eyes like father and mother, and her name is Greta. All Jack wants to do is play with her, but she's so tiny and he knows he has to be patient, so he is. His mother and father laugh though as he tells her fantastic stories, commending his imagination, though his fathers eyes are tight with worry. 

Its not until his sister is eight and he is thirteen that his father pulls him aside, pressing a sliver of cold iron into his hand first with a look of trepidation, then relief. When he asks what that was about, his father blushes, obviously embarrassed as he explains that he feared for a time, with his wild imagination, that Jack was a changeling. He takes Jack far out into the woods, explaining on the way that he had been out chopping wood in the winter when he had happened upon a tiny newborn with bright blue eyes and silver hair abandoned in the woods. Jack wondered who it was, and when his father said it was him, he laughed. He didn't have white hair, he was brunette, just like mother and father, and his father laughs, but there's still worry in his brown eyes. 

That winter, Jack takes his younger sister to the lake to teach her how to skate. The lake is more of a large pond, and has been frozen solid for days now; Jack knows because he's been skating with his friends from the village, and Greta is so eager to learn how to skate too. Neither of them expect to hear the ice start cracking as she moves towards the center, and they're both so scared, and he doesn't like seeing her scared, so he hides his own fear, and he offers a game to her instead, getting closer to her even as the ice treacherously cracks beneath his feet like a jealous lover as he focuses on his sister. Then he manages to grab her with the fallen crook-ended branch, pulling her out of harms way, and there is one glorious moment of pure joy as she's safe and will be able to make it home easily even as the ice shatters completely and claims him. 

Its cold and dark, and he's scared, the last time he was in the dark like this something terrible had happened though it was so far back that the memory was hazy now. Then he looks up, and see's the shining circle of light that is shining benevolently down on him, his strength and power reawakening as he gasps and wonders why he's never realized it was there. He feels whole, complete for the first time he can really remember, and he laughs lightly, trying to remember how to walk. He has less control than he should, and he knows it, even as his foot rattles the crooked staff lying behind him. Curious, he picks it up, and when he realizes that his power is channeling through it, he's delighted, he can't say he isn't, and he dances along the lake, the ice soothing and the wind playful. He wasn't paying attention to the shadows, hadn't realized he needed to. His scream of terror was choked off as they all swallowed him, cruel chuckles following him through the shadows. 

He has no idea how long he's been alone in the dark. His voice gave out long ago, between begging and screaming and anything not to hear the oppressive silence that drowns everything out, even his own heartbeat eventually. All that's left is lonely, so very lonely and lost, even the comforting memories of family and love have faded to pale delusions, distant dreams that can't be remembered upon waking no matter how hard he tries. 

Pain, and laughter, that's all he can hear and feel and he hurts so bad, but he's finally not alone. Life is pain as the shadows pour beneath his skin, and he finds himself torn between longing for the darkness of alone again, and welcoming the pain in hopes that he'll never have to be by himself again. His wish is granted. 

He can't let himself be destroyed like this, he wants to live far too much, though he can't for the life of him remember why anymore. It feels like his body is saturated with darkness, pain, and horror at what he's becoming. He begged in the beginning, barely coherent words of fear had no effect on the one changing him, tormenting him. He can't take the pain any more... so he rejects all of it. He rejects the loneliness, the fear, the pain. He rejects hope and joy and love, because they hurt too much. In the end, he's rejected everything that once made him who he was in order to save what he could of himself, and all he has left for memories is a tiny black marble made of pain and fear, easily lost in the darkness. 

When he's obedient, his Master is pleased, and rewards him, though it always leads to more pain. His Master is delighted by the creatures that emerge from him, saying something about it having been a long time since he had a fearling army, but he looks forward to building a new one with his prince. He shudders, but there is no emotion behind it, it's simply a reaction of the body. 

There are winter storms. There are battles and training, and slow knots of the duller emotions coursing through him. He sometimes wonders if he would be overwhelmed if he felt more than he does. Then one of the duller emotions, simple curiosity, sets into motion something he had never thought would be possible, and everything he rejected was found, and brought back to painful life, glorious life. 

Master is angry, and taking back all the power invested over two long centuries in his pet's form, tearing the mind and body apart to reclaim what he thinks is his. Jack disagrees, fighting to hold onto what he earned and adapted to over the decades. It hurts, but he refuses to give up. 

“Forgive me Jack...” The words are soft, but they cut through the pain even as his Master stops laughing. The pain ends abruptly, the schism is made and there's nothing they can do to undo what has been done, not now. The shadows are ripped free of his body, and for one startled moment they stare at each other, blue eyes and black, before they begin to die. Neither is whole, and neither is strong enough to live on their own, but the power they need is right there for the taking. As one they reach out, devouring shadow and not-shadow alike, desperate to survive, and there's enough, just barely enough.

* * *

Jack looks up, not afraid of what he'll see, just as the other looks up at him, his dark mirror. Dark and blue eyes meet for just a moment, two forms standing on the center of a frozen lake. He looks down at the Rabbit, drained of energy and barely breathing. In the Rabbit's hand, there are two halves of one tiny perfect sphere, the physical representation of their core. One half is blue, with just a few drops of inky black, while the other is equal but opposite, black with a few bright drops of blue. Jack is still staring, shocked at what has happened, lost and unsure what to do when the other scoffs, moving forward and reaching down to take one half of the sphere, wrapping pale fingers around it, before picking up the other half and pressing it into Jack's hand. Dark and blue eyes meet again as the other scoffs. 

“Get him to the Santa Claus...” The words were soft, and Jack nodded, looking down at the Rabbit again before picking up his staff in one hand and doing what he can to haul the Rabbit over his other shoulder. 

“You... you'll catch up?” Jack asks, not looking at the other again, but he can all but feel the other nodding, and he accepts this, calling the wind to him, and asking it to carry him to where he needs to go. 

He's not aware of dark eyes watching him for just a few moments, full of jealousy, before the other turns back to the one who had once been his master. His fangs glinted in the light as he saw the Nightmare King stirring, weak and without any strength but full of tasty, delicious fear as he was approached.

* * *

Phil didn't know what to expect when he heard someone pounding on the door of the North Pole Workshop, hurrying to check it. No one came by the door, not anymore. Humans couldn't find this place unless they were very pure of heart, and spirits didn't generally care to tangle with the protections that could be called into place if they didn't behave. 

It had not been a good day, not at all, and Phil was seriously considering just activating the wards and being done with it. North was all in a state, not even having realized that Bunny and Sandy hadn't followed him through the portal in his haste to get Tooth to the medical wing of the workshop, and now he was feeling guilty and angry all at once. Phil and most of the yeti in the medical wing all agreed that it would be good for him to take a nap and sleep off the nervous energy. Of course, without any kind of dream sand, that meant one of them had to sneak up behind the old Cossack with a sap, and Phil always did enjoy volunteering for that duty, especially when North was ranting. 

The pounding sounded at the doors again, and Phil grumbled quite loudly as he hurried forward and finally opened the door, well ready to tell off whoever had decided to come the long way into the workshop. He did not expect what he saw, the fearling boy propped up by his staff and in turn propping up Bunny, who seemed completely passed out and beaten up. It didn't look as if there could have been more damage if the Pooka had been hit by a mortal bus. Twice. 

The fearling boy... no, he wasn't a fearling, Phil couldn't smell any of the fear taint on him at all, but he looked up, just as exhausted as the pooka sleeping on his shoulder. “Please... please help him...” There were crystal tears in the boys eyes, fear obvious in his stature. “He... he's not breathing right...”

Bellowing for more yeti, Phil reached over and picked Bunny up, holding the pooka to his ear for just a moment to listen to the unsteady slow heartbeat and the shuddering labored breaths the leoporidae was making. He bellowed again, carrying Bunny bodily towards the medical wing, pausing as he heard a soft whump behind him. Rolling his eyes he bellowed again, a dark gray yeti, Jessica, hurrying over to pick up the frost spirit and bring him inside. 

Phil wasn't sure exactly what was happening, or why Bunny had been bought back by someone who was only tentatively an ally last he checked, but he wasn't going to just leave the boy collapsed on the front step either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... ya'all... have no idea how long I've been waiting to write this chapter... Seriously... I've had this planned out since chapter one was done. 
> 
> Most of you have probably noticed, but this is now part one in a series that is going to be between three and five stories long. The second story in the arc is (probably) going to be a lot lighter than this one.
> 
> Oh yea, and because I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to bring it up in the story, the ice claimed Jack when he was thirteen, but in this AU as a spirit he continued to age, though excessively slowly. Hes actually got the body of a seventeen year old now and will age even slower as he reaches the beginning of maturity.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter than usual... but if the last chapter flowed easily, this one was like fighting a twenty mule team to the top of a very rocky hill when they ALL want to go somewhere else.

North blinked blearily looking up at the soothing beams holding the ceiling up, wondering for a few moments why he was in the infirmary instead of in his own bed. Looking to the side he realized why. “Tooth!” Ignoring the horrendous way his head ached, he swung his legs out of the infirmary bed, much more comfortable than human hospital beds but still not as nice as his own, and moved quickly to the next bed in line, which was the last one in the room. Checking his beloved over, North bit back some curses, grasping her hand momentarily. She was covered in bandages, and it made him so angry... Hearing a grumbling curse in Yeti behind him, North turned ready to scold the medic that he wasn't injured and didn't need to be in bed... before he realized she wasn't grumbling about him. 

The other two beds in the room had obviously been occupied, one still was even. Bunny was in one, cloths covering his head and the blankets pulled up high on him, which was strange because Bunny normally complained that it was too hot if he used a blanket. The last bed in the room looked like it had been as occupied as North's had been, and now the silver haired youth that had been in it, if the slowly melting frost crystals were any indication, was kneeling against Bunny's bed, pale hands clasped around one furry paw. 

“J... Jack?” North asked, slowly approaching the bed, even as the boy started, and bright blue eyes looked at him wide with uncertainty and even fear. This was not the fearling boy he had come to know while fighting him. No shadows lurked in his eyes, not the way they always had with the boy he had fought against time and time again. The ragged white shirt he wore had no pockets of inky black cast by the very folds of the cloth, and his skin was pristine and pale, no signs of shadow or frostbite beneath the flesh. “Are you...” 

“No.” The boy shook his head, and North was positively startled by the fact that there was only one voice, he had actually grown used to the dual tones in the boy's voice during his last stay. “I'm... I'm Jack Frost... but. I'm not...” He shook his head, his face scrunching up even as he pulled away from Bunny, hiding his face in his arms, and North noticed that all he was wearing was that ragged shirt, leaving long, pale legs exposed. North was going to have to change that, just as soon as he found out why the youth was crying in his presence. 

“Is alright.” North stated, meaning to approach slowly, but the Medic Yeti got there first, picking the boy bodily up off the floor and placing him back in the frosted bed with a grumble and pulling the blankets up high on him, like it was going to keep the boy warm. 

“Is alright.” North repeated, coming over to sit on the edge of the frosted bed, even as the winter sprite, pulled the blanket up higher on himself and shrunk away from him. “Please... tell me what happened.” The boy shook his head, and North frowned, wondering why the boy would be so upset, before the Medic began to rumble at him, and North turned his attention to the yeti, listening to her words as she explained how Bunny and the Boy had come to be here. The explanation took several minutes, and North nodded, getting up from the bed and moving over to Bunny. His breathing was no longer labored, but that probably had more to do with the fact that he was warm and had compresses on his chest, arms and head. “Give me few moments to gather tools, will make detailed examination.” North stated, moving to leave the room. “Oh, and get boy something decent to wear... nightshirt is fine, but can not be comfortable for when boy wants to wander.” He grumbled to the yeti. It didn't take long to find what he was looking for, examination devices he normally didn't need but now would be useful, and thank goodness his Yeti insisted on organizing anything that had to do with the medical wing otherwise he would never be able to find what he needed when he needed it... not that he ever told them that. 

“Now... where is boy?” The medic yet grumbled at him, and North rolled his eyes as he moved over to Bunny. “Did not mean boy was supposed to be going wandering now, meant for when boy was feeling better.” He stated, before setting up his tools. “Has there been any sign of Sandy yet?” He asked, and hearing the answer he sagged just a little, before getting on with the examination.

A short time later he was both worried and happy at what he had found. Worried because he had no idea how Bunny's energy levels had been drained so low, and happy because the only thing the rabbit really needed to recover was lots of rest, good food, and preferably good cheer. “Where did boy wander off to?” he asked, getting up from where he had taken a moment to rest and think in a plush, comfortable chair next to Bunny's bed. After hearing the answer, he nodded, and with one last look over at Tooth, whom he knew was recovering well though she was in a dosed sleep right now, he left the small infirmary.

North found the boy on one of the lower levels, where the Yeti had told him, sitting by a window he had opened, but not leaving yet. North had to admit, he much preferred what the boy was wearing now, a hooded sweater and sturdy pants, to the ragged shirt he had worn in the infirmary, but what startled him when he reached the boy, was that he wasn't alone. 

“Jack...?” North asked, after listening to the boy talking to someone, and when the boy looked up startled, a black cloaked figure darted out the open window. Cursing, North rushed forward, ready for battle though he didn't think that the shadow had lingered. “Jack, what was that?” He demanded, turning to the flinching boy, before realizing that the other was flinching, and scared. 

“Don't... don't hurt him...” The boy finally said after a few moments, squaring his shoulders and looking at North with determination in his bright blue eyes. 

“Hurt who, Jack?” North asked, his words a demand though the tone was gentle. “Who was that? Was not a fearling, otherwise would have tripped the wards... was not Pitch, much to short...”

“Pitch Black is dead.” Jack's words, the surety behind them and the confidence in his tone were enough to shock North temporarily, as was the sudden rush of rage in the boy's face. “He's gone and will never be coming back.”

* * *

North tried to control his shaking as he watched the boy climb back onto the over sized bed, clutching his staff like some kind of lifeline or safety blanket, and where the boy had found it he still didn't know. He and Bunny had searched for it for hours... Noticing that Tooth's wide purple eyes were blinking at him, he gave the boy a reassuring smile before moving to his beloved's side. “доброе утро, how are you feeling?” He asked, taking one of her hands between both of his. 

“Much better.” She stated, smiling up at him like a beam of pure light, and North focused on his face so he wouldn't feel the anger at seeing the bandages that covered the cuts scrapes and stabs that were over the rest of her body. “Is he...” Her words cut off as she looked over to where Jack was curled in on himself against the head board. 

“Jack Frost... He is not a fearling.” North stated, and beamed as a look of wonder came over his beloved's face. “I do not know whole story... but Frost boy bought Bunny back and Yeti have been tending him... Bunny will be fine, is only drained of energy and needs rest to recover. I do not know how this came to be though.” He kept the second half of his words loud enough for Jack to hear, half turning towards the winter sprite and looking at him curiously. “Please... could you tell us?”

Jack looked up at them, more crystal tears in his eyes before he shook his head, taking a deep breath, before he wiped his face. “Not... not yet... please?” He asked, and North frowned, before finally nodding, not quite liking the look of relief that came over the boy's face when North agreed. 

“Did the memories help?” Tooth asked suddenly, changing the subject as she looked over to where the small golden box with the boy's face on it sat on the night side table. 

“Memories?” Jack asked, looking startled for a moment. 

“I... I wasn't at my best as far as control... but when North and the Yeti started on my wounds.” She started, looking both sad and sheepish. “I think I accidentally activated your memories when they had to pry it out of my hands. I was holding on to them so tightly... I couldn't let Pitch get them...” There were suddenly tears in her eyes and North pulled her against him, holding her gently as she cried. 

North felt coolness against his side, and he looked up after several moments to see that Jack had moved closer, a confused look on his features. “Why.. why didn't you just give them to Pitch? I was... I was just a fearling...” 

“No! Memories are precious! I couldn’t... I couldn't let him corrupt them! Sometimes memories are all that's left, all we've got! I thought.... I thought that when all was said and done... those memories would be all that was left of _you_...” Tooth's words started out full of conviction, before fading away to almost a whisper as she leaned against North again. 

After several long minutes, the boy spoke again, taking a shuddering breath before he did. “It helped... If I hadn't remembered when I did, I wouldn't have had the will to live.” He stated, his voice only trembling a little. “But... If I hadn't had the will to live... I wouldn't have hurt him...” He stated, ice flushing across his cheeks as he looked over at Bunny, and North felt his heartbeat skip as he realized what the boy was saying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually a little disappointed that no one mentioned the fact that Phil knocked North out with a sap or a guess as to whom Jack's parents might be. (I dropped a pretty big hint a while back... I thought at least.) 
> 
> The next chapter SHOULD flow easier... hopefully... and I'll get on with some of the big reveals and at least one more huge fight scene :3


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this before work, will go back and double check for errors after I get home tonight.

Golden sand coiled and curled through the dark, seeking out most places that had been hidden in the darkness, though there was no real determination behind the action. Most of the Fearlings had either already been destroyed or long ago fled as Sandy waited for Pitch to come back. It had been so long though, and Sandy was getting worried about the other Guardians, wondering if Pitch was still delaying them, or if something else had come up for the Boogieman. 

The lair had been empty for so long though, and his golden sand was bringing light to most places that had probably never seen light before. The Lair was silent though, and deserted until the wind dropped something into a small out of the way corner, a shadow of some kind, and frowning to himself, Sandy moved to investigate. He wasn't expecting the Fearling Boy to be snarling at him from the nook his sand led him to, and he felt his sandy heart breaking as he looked the Boy over. 

Shadows and light mingled, giving Sandy barely any glimpses of the boy beneath his hood, but something was definitely different about him, and it was enough to unnerve Sandy. Curiously he moved forward, one hand raising to touch the boy's shoulder, only for him to stumble back as the boy looked up, dark blue eyes glaring up at him from where the boy slumped on the ground. Revulsion pulsed through Sandy as he realized that the boy was all shadow and gray, like a full fearling... 

“I assume you're waiting for Master? He's dead...” The sharp teeth revealed by the boy's grin were wrong, and Sandy realized what it was then, wondering why he hadn't connected it when the fearlings fled. They had gone to their new master... the Fearling Prince. The rage that had flowed freely through his sandy form earlier was gone, but now it was replaced by a new anger. Whatever had happened when Bunny went after the Boy had obviously backfired... 

Eyes narrowed both in anger and suspicion, he asked without expecting the boy to understand him. _What happened to Pitch Black?_

When the boy started giggling, the sound made Sandy shudder somewhat, a low and haunting sound instead of the happy, care free sound that had come from him before. “I ate him.” The boy finally said, pulling himself to his feet, the shadows swelling his form in a familiar but terrible way. “He was delicious... did you know that the Master of Fear was anything but? Scared, scared, scared of everything... a little like you.” The shadows were moving forward, and Sandy reacted without really thinking, his sand gathering into fierce whips, slamming into the boy and pinning him against the wall behind him. The glowing sand cut through the shadows much more easily than Sandy expected, making them disappear and leaving only the rail thin form of a boy in a cloak and ragged pants pressed against the wall. 

The boy cried out, whimpering as the force of Sandy's assault was enough to make something fall from his hand, and his efforts of reaching for it were futile as Sandy pinned each limb. It didn't take long, the fearling wasn't nearly as strong as Pitch had been, and Sandy was very nearly shocked to find himself glaring at the pinned boy. Then he looked down at the thing that the boy was still struggling to reach for, picking up the dark little half sphere. 

When the boy cried out as he picked it up, Sandy looked back at him, before carefully examining the sphere. It was perfectly smooth on one side, and perfectly round on the other, so solid black that he realized that he would never have been able to find it if his dream sand hadn't been chasing all the shadows away. Well... no, not solid black, there were two tiny points of blue floating in the black, blurry little drops of an almost glowing neon color. It also wasn't exactly smooth on the one side, a tiny indent where it looked like a tiny chip had come out of it. 

Glaring at the boy, who was whimpering as Sandy came closer but he couldn't afford to be too soft right now, couldn't afford to let this boy become the next Pitch Black, Sandy held up the half sphere. _What is this?_

* * *

Aster wavered in and out of consciousness, listening to the steady hum of conversation around him as he wondered, very distantly mind you, why he was so exhausted. It was far more than tired, all of his energy was gone. He felt better after a six week Easter binge, where he spent every waking moment and seemingly plenty of sleeping ones too if some of his work was any indication, preparing for Easter. He had never felt like this. 

Listening to the murmur of conversation, Aster decided to ask them to be quiet so he could get a bit more rest, only to have the request come out as some kind of unintelligible garble. That seemed to focus the garble on him instead of on whatever they had been talking about and it wasn't very long until he felt large, calloused hands lifting his head and something cold was being held to his lips. It wasn't really a conscious effort to drink whatever was being given to him, but at the moment, it was pretty good. 

Whatever it was made it easier to pry his bleary eyes open. “What happened?” He asked, or tried to ask, since what came out was as unintelligible as trying to tell the lot of them to sod off. After a big, blurry red and black hand (North... probably.) helped him take another drink, he was slightly more successful in asking. 

“You've been passed out... for at least a day.” That was Tooth's voice, which meant that the sheila was doing alright, which was a huge relief. Aster hadn't been sure that she would be alright when he last saw her, though he had known she had been in good hands when North got her through the portal. “We were hoping you could tell us what happened when you went to confront Pitch.”

“Jack keeps clamming up when we ask what happened before he arrived on doorstep... Yeti do not know much either.” North's tone was pretty annoyed, and Aster almost chuckled at the old Cassock’s attitude before what he actually said sunk in and made Aster's fur stand on end. 

“Jack?” Aster was suddenly wide awake, a thrill of guilt and fear running through him. “I... I think I killed him...” The world was both all too clear, and kind of blurring around the edges. His heart, already faster than human normal, had decided to do a rigadoon, the beat definitely not something a living being was supposed to emulate. The tips of his paws felt kinda numb and he was pretty sure he wasn't getting enough air the way he was breathing. 

He definitely didn't expect the pillow being shoved in his face as he was pushed forward so that he was bent like one of his own boomerangs. He could barely hear the argument happening around him, but looking up at the person who had shoved the pillow in his face he could guess what it was about. After all, it wasn't every day that a dead guy tried to suffocate the guy who killed him... though a pillow as soft and fluffy as the ones North supplied was a poor weapon of choice.

“Listening now?” After only hearing the odd dual tone of Jack's voice, the single tone was enough to startle Aster, especially as the boy leaned forward, practically in Aster's face, grinning even. Pretty believable for a hallucination, Aster decided, even as the kid's face softened and one cold hand lifted to cup Aster's furry cheek. 

“I broke your Core...” Aster's voice was a whisper, and out of the corner of his eye he saw North pale even as his sensitive ears heard Tooth's gasp. Jack just chuckled though, the crazy drongo, his expression softening further. 

“Dumb Rabbit.” Jack stated, chuckling. “I'm the one who should apologize... you kept it safe from Pitch and I responded by stealing all your energy... If we hadn't stopped...” The frost sprite's hand dropped, and he seemed to draw into himself, an unhappy look on his features replacing the devil-may-care grin that had been there before. 

“You... took my energy to survive?” That certainly explained the exhaustion. “S'alright. You did it by instinct, didn't you?” The boy nodded tentatively, and Aster let out his own surprised chuckle. “I'm glad your alright... what did happen... after?”

The boy looked decidedly uncomfortable for a moment, before bringing his other hand up, which had been tightly clenched around something the whole time and how had Aster not even noticed that, and opening it to reveal half of a perfect sphere, bright blue with two obvious drops of inky black floating in it.

* * *

Tooth listened as Jack explained what had happened, not entirely sure she understood what he was saying, but that was mostly because the boy couldn't seem to speak above a mumble half the time, though the other half the time his words were accompanied by laughter in one form or another. It was disturbing hearing him talk about fighting pitch and receiving wounds while he giggled... 

“What happened then?” Tooth asked quietly, engrossed in the boy's story as he told how he had seen Bunny arrive as he was passing out. 

“Pain... Ma... Pitch started trying to... reclaim the power he had used to make... a fearling prince.” The words were quiet, but the first clear words in several minutes. “It hurt... really badly...” 

“Pitch... he found out about the core somehow... demanded it. I said no.” Bunny sighed, his eyes and ears drooping where he was propped up in bed. “I think... I think he was gathering all the energy he could for a strike. Either that or he was just being melodramatic.” Tooth nodded thoughtfully, with Pitch either was possible. Bunny's next words were much quieter, and met with silence for several moments. “I figured a swift death would be more merciful than actually giving the core to him....” Bunny shuddered and Tooth wished she felt strong enough to get up and cross the room to comfort him, but North beat her too it, wrapping the Pooka in a surprisingly tender hug. 

Bunny pulled away after several long moments, taking a shuddering breath before he looked back at Jack where the frost spirit perched on one of the chairs. “What I want to know is what happened next? I thought it was impossible for anyone to survive their core shattering?” 

“Well it damn well wasn't easy, that's for fucking sure.” The voice from the doorway drew everyone's attention to it, where Sandy had apparently just arrived, his golden sand wrapped like a rope around the wrists of... 

Tooth felt her eyes widen, as she looked back and forth between the boy perched on the chair, and the creature that Sandy had captive. Physically, they looked exactly the same, from the shape of their face, to their lanky and thin build, to the fact that both of them were bare foot. They even both had extremely pale skin, though Sandy's captive had more of a grayish white tint to it than the bluish white sparkle Jack had, and that was where the dissimilarities started. 

Where Jack was light and bright, like fresh fallen snow in the morning sunlight, this creature was dark and midnight shadow. Black hair with tips that looked frosted white was in the exact same cut and style as Jack's, and his eyes were a very dark blue instead of the bright almost glowing color that the snow sprite sported. The next big difference that Tooth noted were unsurprisingly his teeth, they were sharper than Jacks, and he had a definite set of fangs. Surprisingly, they were bright and beautiful despite the manic grin on the creatures face, sparkling just as much as Jack's did. 

Apparently everyone's shock lasted only a moment, though Jack's next actions left all of them blinking once more. Through the last little while, Tooth had managed to forget that even though something had happened, apparently being split from his fearling self if the apparition in the doorway was any indication, Jack had been Jokul, who had been a fierce warrior under Pitch's guidance. Swift and graceful, Jack was in an attack position, his staff at the ready and his blue eyes glaring enough to startle apparently even the narcoleptic dream sprite from the way Sandy reacted, jerking back as if he'd been hit. 

“Let him go... Let Jokul go NOW.” Tooth had no idea which shocked her more at the moment, the fact that Jack was on the verge of attacking Sandy, or the fact that 'Jokul' looked as shocked as she felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: ... I was late to work this morning... by like ten whole minutes... blarg...
> 
> Most of what I know about the Book!Verse of RotG comes from reading other fanfiction and looking up the occasional concept art of characters. That being said, were there any other bad guys other than Pitch and the Fearlings? I think I read somewhere about Dream Pirates, but I'm not all that sure what they are. 
> 
> Also, I have AIM now... I blame CleverCorgi... My AIM handle is IlloustriousTaco (I think...) so if anyone wants to chat... :3


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o.o Please... please stick with me... the boys wanted a lot of revelation this chapter... I don't know if its good or bad...

Aster watched the creature in the doorway, wondering how this had come to pass, how the being before them could look so much like Jack, the boy he had become fond of in the last few days but also so much like Pitch Black. He knew without turning his head that North and Tooth would have the same flabbergasted looks on their faces that he felt on his own. Sandy just looked extremely confused, looking back and forth between Jack and the fearling, Jokul, for a moment before dropping and letting dissipate the sand rope connected to the bindings on Jokul's wrists.

The thick golden binds on Jokul's wrists didn't dissipate and Aster watched the signs that flashed over Sandy's head, catching only a bare fraction of the 'language' that the dream spirit used. When the jolly little sprite held up a tiny half sphere, which was familiar in that it was the mirror image of the one that Jack had held up only a little while ago, with a question mark hovering over his head, the sudden chill in the room made everyone shiver.

Whatever Sandy was asking, Jack didn't answer, and Aster wasn't sure it was just because he didn't understand the fallen star. Instead, moving quick and graceful as any feline, Jack dashed forward, snatching the tiny half sphere from Sandy's fingers and placing himself between Jokul and everyone else.

“Don't ever touch this again.”

His voice was cold, his rage as palpable as the chill in the air and the anger on his face. His posture was purely defensive though, for all that he looked enraged, gripping the little half sphere to his chest while his other hand held his staff at the ready.

Jack was possibly the only one in the room who didn't flinch when Jokul started chuckling, the fearling looking over his 'twin's' shoulder and seemingly directly into Aster's eyes. While Jack was still wholly focused on the confused Sandman, Aster found himself staring at Jokul's dark eyes, watching as the boy finished his chuckle and his tongue darted out to lick his pale lips _and why was he looking at Aster like that_?

That was not a look that belonged on the face of someone who was a captive even if he seemed at least partially willing, not struggling visibly against the Sandman when he had been bought in; it also wasn't a look that belonged on anyone who Pitch black had been – molesting. Aster was glad his fur hid his flush of embarrassment and shame as he remembered that little detail. No matter how come-hither the boy's dark eyes were, they were in the middle of a serious situation here; he was a fearling at the North Pole and no matter the situation that wasn't the kind of attention that was needed here.

“Jack... what... is that the other half of your core?”

Tooth's voice was far away, not that Aster was able to focus on that, not with the way Jokul's arms were lifting as he stepping forward, draping them over Jack's shoulders, all but plastering himself to the winter sprite's back, his dark blue eyes still locked with Aster's green ones.

By the Ancients, that was an image that Aster was certain he would never get out of his head.

Jokul touched Jack's hand where he held the dark half of the core, licking his lips and chuckling again, the sound rolling through the quiet room. Aster knew everyone was startled when the golden binding on the boy's wrists suddenly turned black, as the shadows under his feet and everywhere else in the room suddenly writhed violently and swallowed up both boys, dissipating as quickly as they’d come.

Given the situation, and _those eyes_ , Aster was very glad that he hadn't kicked off the heavy quilts earlier, even though he was now too warm, instead of just barely warm enough. Shifting and concentrating on getting his body under control before the others noticed his little problem, he did his best to focus on what they should be talking about.

“What in the bloody hell was all that about?!”

* * *

Jokul wasn't gentle as he dropped Jack, the inky shadows spitting the frost sprite out as they emerged in Master’s old lair. It didn't belong to Master anymore though, and, if Jokul had his way, it wouldn't belong to anyone ever again. He was angry, so very angry, as he snatched the dark half of their core from Jack, holding it tight even as he glared down at the chuckling snow sprite.

“What the fuck did you think you were doing?” he growled, his anger causing nearby shadows to writhe, though it did nothing to intimidate his cheerful doppelganger.

“Well, I don't know if you noticed, but you were being held captive by the Sand Man – you know, Sandy? Guy who always gave mas–Pitch such a hard time? What was up with that anyways?” Jack asked as he picked himself up and dusted his pants off.

Jokul had to roll his eyes at the nonchalance of his actions.

“None of your goddamn business.” Jokul growled, glaring down at the dark half of the core in his hand. “Why should you care anyways? You're finally free of my influence and all you wanna do is jump between me and my enemies?”

“Enemies?” Jack laughed, the sound bright and more than a little manic. “Why do they have to be enemies? They were Pitch's enemies, doesn't mean they have to be ours.”

Jokul chuckled himself, taking a moment to look the other over, his pale skin, the white hair, the distinguishing and complete lack of shadows clinging to him like tendrils of inky web.

“You don't seem to get it.” he said, chuckling as he moved forward. It was a pity he didn't feel any fear coming from Jack, but there it was.

“I'm a fearling... you're not... they don't have to be your enemies... but they do have to be _mine_. I'm _evil_ Jack – all that's left of Pitch Black's evil. You just know they want to finish the job, starting with that annoying dream sprite. I'm sure North would love to sink his blades where my cold heart beats, while Tooth makes sure I can't escape.”

“Oh yes, I'm certain they're all angry with you for being something you were created to be... kinda.” Jack shrugged. Jokul growled at the amusement in his voice, causing the shadows to move in slowly undulating waves around his brighter self.

“You know we're not what Pitch Black was trying to make... even before... well, this.” Jack was still grinning as he motioned to himself and Jokul. The fearling rolled his eyes.

“It doesn't matter. I'm still a fearling. Still evil. I still need to be exterminated.” Jokul's growl cut through whatever amusement that may have been coursing through his other half and Jack stiffened, glaring at Jokul as the fearling finished circling him.

“You were trying to commit suicide by Guardian...” The anger in Jack's voice was unmistakable, but it didn’t intimidate Jokul and he scoffed.

“Well duh,” he said, turning away from his 'twin,' ready to stalk deep into the shadows.

The Guardians would undoubtedly be here to 'rescue' Jack soon, and, as much as he wanted to stop existing already, he needed to at least put up some kind of a fight; hide perhaps. Who knew how they would react otherwise.

The snowball to the back of his head took him by surprise; he turned around angrily just in time to catch the crook of Jack's staff in his face. The force of the blow caused him to stumble backward, though he was every bit as graceful as his doppelganger and the next blow was blocked by two crossed shadow daggers with ice-edged blades.

“What the fuck?” he demanded, shoving his weight forward to push Jack away from him, before dancing away gracefully. “What's gotten into you, Jack?”

“You moron.” Jack's voice was frigid, and Jokul had to dodge a sudden blast of cold that left spikes of ice on the ground and wall. “You complete and utter _moron_!”

Defending himself with the shadows from another cold blast, Jokul had to wonder exactly what that was about, though he didn't have the time right now, between dodging staff strikes and blasts of ice. Angry, he fired back, shadows tripping at and tearing Jack's new pants, the sight making Jokul hiss in satisfaction.

“ _I'm_ the moron? _You're_ the fuckwit that got between the Guardians and a _fucking_ fearling!” Jokul was fairly sure that if he got Jack riled up enough he might not need to wait around for the Guardians to show up. He wasn't sure anymore how Jack was going to react. He had thought the other boy would stay out of the way while the Guardians decided what to do about him. Oh, they might have needed a push before they decided on execution, but he wouldn't have minded attacking them; it would have been fun, even. He could have punched the annoying off of the Santa Claus's face.

Shadows writhed, seething and undulating around him, and Jokul decided that was enough for now, drawing together all his power and slamming it forward into Jack, pinning the winter sprite. He was strong right now. Very strong.

He had devoured the Boogieman and then called all the fearlings to him; commanding them was his right as their Prince. Devouring them had given him the strength to get back to the lair, although he had nearly panicked when he saw the Sandman in his prior master's home.

“You let Sandy catch you,” Jack accused, anger in his voice and Jokul chuckled, letting the sound roll out and echo from wall to wall, and tunnel to tunnel. “You could have escaped any time and gotten away from him... you jerk! Why the hell did you hand over your core?”

“Hand it over? What makes you think he didn't take it?” Jokul asked, a manic grin on his face.

Jack looked distinctly unimpressed even from where he was pinned by the wriggling shadows. “My core hasn't left me since you handed it back to me. You didn't have to let go of yours unless you wanted to,” Jack stated.

Jokul shrugged, letting one of the shadows form a chair that he lounged on, grinning.“And yet Sandman thought it was all his strength that made me drop it long enough for him to pick it up.”

Jokul's grin faded after a moment, and he sighed, looking upwards to the shadow-filled cavernous ceiling.

“Jack... when they arrive to exterminate me... don't interfere.”

“Why the hell not, you crazy–” Jokul cut him off before he could say more, a clumsy shadow covering the lower half of his face.

“I'm a fearling! I _eat_ _fear_. I'm in control now, but I don't want – I don't want to lose control. You were supposed to stay out of the way, save yourself when they turned on me! I would have, if I were you.”

Jokul's words were quiet, and the silence after them was only broken by the sound of ice shattering. Jokul looked up just in time to see Jack flexing to break the last of the frozen shadows and – look at that, he was a lot more like Jokul than the fearling had realized.

“I highly doubt that.” Jack used the last moment of Jokul's surprise to ice the fearling to his shadow chair. His blue eyes were cackling with energy, even though Jokul would have thought he would still be weak after their separation. He had apparently recovered as much energy resting at the North Pole as Jokul had eating the fearlings.

“You aren't a fearling! Pitch Black called us his ‘Fearling Prince.’ He _lied_ and you know it.”

“I eat fear–” Jokul started, only to find himself cut off again as Jack's hand pressed him back, ice cackling up his cheek to form a gag.

“You eat fear, you don't make more of it. You're afraid of losing control? Becoming just as bad as any of Pitch Blacks minions? Then practice. Practice while you’re strong, before you get hungry again. Practice eating the fear without harming anyone. We did it with the Rabbit.”

Jack was straddling Jokul's lap, leaning against his fearling counterpart now, and Jokul found it hard to breathe as he tried to understand what exactly the other was telling him and then he was looking directly into Jack's eyes, the winter sprite's nose nearly touching the fearlings.

“Practice... or I'll wait until you're so low on energy that you can't control yourself, that you hunger and writhe in the shadows, waiting only for a victim to devour. Then I'll bring you a human to feast on... a child, because that's what you fear, isn't it... I can taste it. You fear devouring the energy of an innocent, harming them...

“If you don't take care of yourself... and I have to step in? I'll make sure that's exactly what happens. Because I won't let you die that way. You're my other half... I changed your fate by being immune to Pitch Black's shadows... I'll give you a new one though. I don't know what yet, but I'll make you a fate we can both be happy with.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ogawd this melted my brain! Jokul and Jack, why do you have to be soo.... wordy with each other. I wanted more reactions from the other guardians not a life's story of your personal psychosis-es...
> 
> I don't know if this was good or bad... I wasn't planning to get to some of this until later... but then Jack wanted it bought up NOW... and they both wanted their time in the limelight... I'm still not sure if this chapter is a mistake or not, but if I don't post it now when I have it finished, I don't know if I'll be able to, and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to get myself to write around it if I don't...
> 
> EDIT: The wonderful CleverCorgi went through and cleaned up and make this easier to read.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who's read this so far and commented or left Kudos! Much love all around! 
> 
> Also many thanks to CleverCorgi for taking a look at it and making it easier to read. :3

Baby Tooth watched from the shadows, wondering if there was some way she could interfere, or if she should, though she flinched each time one of the boys attacked the other. She could get that they were angry, really she could - she would be angry too after being Pitch Black's slave for so long - but she wished they weren't taking it out on each other. 

She had just decided to try to find her way out of this labyrinthine place and go back to her Mother when the shadows started acting strange, dropping out the lighter one before the darker one stepped out after him. She nearly darted forward then to show them her prize, but then she heard them talking, and, being the curious little thing she was, she stopped to listen. She couldn’t hear everything they were saying, but she was horrified by what she did hear.

First the winter spirit had been pinned by the shadows, then the dark boy had been pinned in the ice and now they were - Baby Tooth scooched out of her hiding place, moving closer with a curious chirp, only to have two sets of blue eyes, one bright and one dark, turn twin startled gazes upon her.

“Oh, um,” the lighter one said, chuckling lamely. “Hi Baby Tooth. Where have you been?” 

The winter sprite spoke first, as he got off of the other one. Baby Tooth grumbled, glaring at him even though he was smirking that absolutely beautiful smile of his. It was different than it had been before, but she didn't mind, it was still good, although when she moved over to the darker one she saw that he wasn't smiling.

“What are you doing here Baby Tooth? You flew off after I ate Pitch,” he asked as she approached.

Baby Tooth chirped brightly, holding up the gray tooth she had grabbed before scolding him for wandering off before she could follow him. She had been looking for him when she found the lair. Some of Sandy's dream sand had been floating around, worrying her, although she had not been scared because there were no fearlings around - and she didn't know what had happened to them - what had happened to them?

The dark one finally laughed, as he was slowly breaking himself out of unmelting ice.

“I got kidnapped by the Sandman,” he explained cheerfully. 

“Jack here decided to rescue me, of all things,” he added, glaring at the winter sprite, who leaned against his staff and simply smirked in response, before he perked up.

“Hey, Baby Tooth, tell Jokul he's being stupid. He's not a fearling; otherwise, you never would have come back to him, right?” 

Jack's words were chipper. Baby Tooth tilted her head as she chirped at the dark one - Jokul - curiously.

 _Of course_ he wasn't a fearling. Baby Tooth hated fearlings, they made all of her feathers stand on end. Glaring, she moved into Jokul's face, scolding him for looking so unhappy, much to the amusement of the other boy, Jack. She flew into his face next, still scolding, wishing that they hadn't run off after that explosion so that she could keep track of them. Mother was going to be so surprised and she was glad that they had fought Pitch Black because she could feel Mother again and, even though she wasn't doing well, she was no longer in pain.

“Thats great! She looked like she was doing well at the North Pole too. She wasn't happy, but she _looked_ okay,” Jack said, smiling brightly.

Baby Tooth was immediately in his face again, demanding that he tell her what happened at North's place. Laughing, he complied, Baby Tooth settling on Jokul's shoulder as Jack made himself an ice sculpture to lounge on.

* * *

Aster cursed as he hauled himself out of the bed to follow Sandy and North, determined to convince them to not go after the winter spirit and his fearling counterpart. What they were planning was more than a little foolish and not just because the boys were a minimal threat right now, but because there were only the two of them. They had fought 'Jokul' in the past and, from the way that Jack moved he possessed at least some of the same grace and fighting skill as his doppelganger, which meant that if the boys didn't want to come back, they wouldn’t be coming back. If that happened, Aster didn’t want to see the aftermath.

There was also the fact that the fearling boy had done something to the dream sand, turning it black right before he used the shadows to escape with Jack.

“Bunny, come on, they'll be fine - all of them. I don't think that North and Sandy will do anything outrageous and - you're not even listening to me, are you?” 

Tooth was still talking a moment later when Aster growled at her in annoyance over her distracting ramblings. He was certain he could get his legs working soon, no matter how wobbly they felt at the moment.

“Tooth, I've gotta stop them, I'm pretty sure that what they're planning isn't going to work and isn't going to be right.”

The Pooka tried again for a few steps, making it almost to the door before his progress was interrupted by a huge wall of fur. The Yeti medic grumbled at him as she lifted him up and deposited him back on his bed. “Damn it, I need to make sure those hoon's don't do anything drastic!”

His words were summarily ignored as the yeti produced a small, vaguely familiar leather form from a nearby cabinet, moving towards Aster with intent. 

“Oh hell no,” Aster growled.

He waited until the yeti was close before making a break for it. Instead of letting her cosh him on the noggin, he managed to shove her out of the way with his shoulder, dropping to all fours as he dashed for the door. He wasn't steady, he wasn't fast, but there were reasons you never raced a rabbit.

More than one Yeti tried to stop him, but Aster was determined to get out of there, if for no other reason than to keep an eye on the situation involving Jack - and, yes, Jokul. Something just wasn't right about the way North and Sandy were charging in, determined to make sure that the fearling didn't do any harm. 

It was Jack, the fearling boy who had played in his Warren, and found wonder everywhere he looked and didn't act like a proper fearling at all - thank the ancestors for that much. Aster was the one who had caused whatever made the boy split to become two and he felt that he had to find a way to fix the situation. Evading another Yeti, Aster made it into the basement area where his 'entrance' was and quickly opened a tunnel.

He really needed to find the boys - and fast.

* * *

It took some time for Sandy to locate the entrance to Pitch Black's lair once again, much to North's frustration, since his portal had dropped them off somewhere outside. North was grumbling about it incessantly by the time Sandy found the crevice that led into the lair. It didn't help that Sandy had to use his dream sand to get North down the steep crevice. 

“Thank you, my friend, but I do hope we need never to return here. Is becoming much to much of a pain.”

Sandy nodded, forced to agree as he looked around, wondering, and not for the first time, if this was going to be a futile search. _I'll lead the way._ Not that North understood him very well, but he motioned for the diminutive dreamweaver to go first.

Sandy grinned in response, leading the way in and down. He had thoroughly explored the lair before when he was looking for fearlings, so he had a good idea as to how to return to where, he suspected, Jokul would be waiting for them. Whether he had Jack captive or not would determine Sandy's next actions. 

He still wasn't sure why Jokul had grabbed Jack like that before warping through the shadows, but it couldn’t have been just for show, so perhaps he needed some manner of contact with his brighter half? Or perhaps his core. Sandy put the thought away for later, making a note to ask one of the boys about it.

When they arrived at the central room, where the cages hung morosely from the ceiling, he looked around, finding large areas here and there covered in jagged ice. He frowned, wondering exactly what had happened there. It looked like the boys had been fighting, but Sandy definitely wasn't sure, and, if Jokul had used shadows, nothing was left of them to form clues for North and himself to decipher.

“боже мой - what were boys doing to cause this?” North asked aloud, his voice echoing slightly in the cavernous room. 

When a new sound joined the echos, both Sandy and North looked up to where one of the hanging cages was creaking, a white haired head looking over the edge looking unimpressed.

“Redecorating,” Jack answered, his voice more cheerful than it ought to have been, considering he was in one of the cages.

Sandy immediately flew up, determined to free him and find out why Jokul had put him in there, only to become confused when he realized that both boys were in the same cage and at the fact that the door was wide open. It creaked slightly as Jack grinned at them. 

“Give us a minute and we'll be right down,” he said, inordinately cheerful, in direct contrast to his darker counterpart, who was glaring at Sandy with a very nasty expression on his face.

 _Is there a reason you're in there?_ Sandy asked suspiciously, and Jack laughed, shaking his head even as he grabbed Jokul's hand and dragged him to the door of the small cage.

“Just feels comfortable, thats all - though I'm thinking that we should probably just get rid of the cages; _way_ too cliche,” Jack's voice rang out.

Sandy flinched as it dawned on him that it meant that the boy had spent a lot of his time in those horrible-looking cages. A fact made apparent by how easily he jumped out, landing lightly on the ground a fair distance away.

“Geezus fuck, don't look so guilty about that _now_ ,” the fearling snarled. Sandy glared at him even as the boy continued to speak. “Yes, the cages are in the open and everyone can see them. It’s more comfortable to be able to see the fearlings coming - won't need them any more, but yeah.” 

The boy grinned nastily, his dark tongue sticking out in an age-old expression of disdain.

 _It's rude to stick your tongue out._ Sandy's words were a reflex, as most people didn't understand him, but the boy just laughed as he dropped out of the cage, landing next to Jack.

“So what brings you to our humble abode?” Jokul asked, as Jack chuckled while leaning against his staff and watching both North and Sandy curiously.

“We are coming to bring boy's back to Pole. We need to find out exactly what happened to boys, and how to reverse damage,” North stated plainly.

Sandy shook his head, one palm slapping against his forehead at the old Cossack’s phrasing.

“There's no damage,” Jack's voice was soft and, when Sandy looked up at him, there was anger in his eyes once more. “We're fine the way we are.”

“Maybe so, but were still harmed greatly when core was broken. We think it would be best if you stayed at the Pole for now, away from gloominess of lair,” North ventured.

It was a little bit better, but Sandy still rolled his eyes in exasperation.

“Nope. I, at least, like the gloom and doom air - and Jack's already started in on the redecoration process, so we've actually got plans, shit to do, that kind of thing.” 

Jokul's words seemed a little more forceful than Jack's, but more defensive too.

 _Please come with us? We're worried about you. Both of you._ Sandy's words were sincere, but they made the darker one laugh, his chuckles rolling out of him and filling the cavern even as the shadows began to wriggle and writhe in response, slowly undulating around them.

“Really? Worried about us now? I'm a _Fearling_ , and I'm well aware of exactly what I am. You're worried about Jack. He's not going anywhere unless he wants to,” Jokul replied scathingly. 

Sandy flinched, mostly because of his tone, but also because it was partly true.

“There's no need for that.” 

Bunny's voice startled Sandy such that he jumped about half a foot into the air, even as he spun to see Bunny emerge from one of his rabbit holes. 

“Like I said, we should give the sprogs a bit of time to settle down after what happened.”

“And You should be in bed, resting! You were drained almost to death of life force! Дурак , you will give yourself sickness!” North growled, moving towards Bunny and shrugging out of his enormous red and black jacket to drape it over the shaking Easter Bunny.

“Well I couldn't let you damn galahs go and do something rash now could I?” Bunny snapped back, shrugging in an attempt to get out of the coat, but failing miserably.

“Boys will be coming back to the Workshop, will give medical examination, then find way to fix core; will definitely be better whole than broken,” North growled.

Sandy gazed imploringly at the two youths, hoping that both of them would see the sense in this. If their expressions were any indication, that was highly unlikely.

“Uhm... No,” Jack replied, his voice accompanied by a loud clack as the butt of his staff slammed into the ground; a wave of frost spiraled outward from the point of contact. “We've kind of both decided we like being separated.”

“Much more freedom of movement, much more expression,” the fearling added from where he was now perched on a shadow-formed ledge, chuckling as he leaned forward. “No chance of something going wrong and both of us dying.”

“Wait... both of you dying?” North's words echoed Sandy's silent ones, and as he looked between the boys he noted the grim determination underneath their cheerful smiles.

“We still share the same core... even separated... so if one of us dies....”

“Then the other dies too,” Jokul finished, looking rather green, though Jack didn't look nearly as put out or upset by the idea.

“Well, is a good thing that both of you are coming under my protection then.” 

The voice was not North's, even though the Russian accent was very heavy, and, as all of them watched, ice crystals and snow formed in the air, coalescing into a tall, dark haired older man in some manner of military uniform. 

“Добрый вечер, would say is good to be seeing you all, but am trying to make habit not to lie, yes?” 

If anything his accent was heavier than North’s, and from the way that North's eyes were crossing, it seemed as if he was partially in awe.

“Генерального Зимние... what brings you here? Boy cannot fall under your jurisdiction....” 

North's words were fairly confident, though the other spirit just snorted.

“Normally no. Boy was born outside of homeland, therefore should be under jurisdiction of place where became spirit, yes? But being as Boys are son of granddaughter, that does make them family,” the old spirit replied as he grinned.

Sandy rolled his eyes, moving forward to get the old spirits attention. _What do you plan on doing with them?_ His words were met with a raised eyebrow, but not comprehension.

“Now hold on just a damn minute! Who the fuck are you?” 

Jokul's voice drew everyone’s attention back to himself and Jack, the latter appearing simply confused, while the former looked rather angry.

“Ah, yes. I am General Winter, sometimes known as Old Man Winter when my duties are lighter. I created your mother, the Snow Queen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be the last chapter in this story, then I'm going to start the next one in the series, though I'm not sure what it will be called yet. It might be a few days till I get it posted. 
> 
> I'm also going to do a short side story on how one of Old Man Winter's grand daughters became the Snow Queen and won her husband with feats of magic and strength.


	17. Chapter 17

Four months seven days and six hours. It was all Aster could do not to count the minutes and seconds too, though he probably could if he wanted to. That was how long it had been since General Winter had taken the frost spirit and his fearling doppelganger. It was bothering Aster, and it showed, his googies not quite up to standard though the human sprogs probably wouldn't notice a thing. Most of the hand painted eggs he had done this year, and with all his distractions there weren't a lot of them, had snow flake and swirling patterns on them much to his own consternation. 

He had looked for the boys, they all had of course, though each of them had their own reasons. He had checked Pitch's lair for a whole week after the boys had gone, but the ice had eventually melted and none of the shadows were anything more than a mere lack of light. 

The others had pretty much given up on actively looking for them about two months ago, and had probably expected him to give up as well with his holiday approaching so quickly. Now that it was Easter though, and his duties were complete, he didn't know what he wanted to do. Sure, he really wanted to continue his search for the kid, well kids, but a greater part of him realized that logically, if they hadn't found hide nor hair of them in the last four months, then they probably wouldn't find them unless General Winter and apparently the Snow Queen wanted them found. 

Aster grinned fondly at himself, remembering the storm of Russian curses that had escaped North upon finding out who Jack Frost's mother was, and if the way General Winter had spoken meant anything, she had extended that maternal claim to Jack Frost's other half Jokul Frosti. His grin faded as he remembered that with that reveal, General Winter had dissipated, apparently taking both the boy's with him because all three of them had disappeared in a shower of diamond dust before Aster could even find out the mans intentions. 

He found himself worrying at the most inconvenient times, like right now, he was well hidden it was true, but the last thing he wanted was to be fully caught out by the little sprogs as they searched out their eggs this year. Shaking his head and flattening his ears, Aster bought himself to the here and now, trying to take his usual pleasure in watching the human kids search for his googies. 

He was promptly distracted once more as a snowball hit him in the back of the head, and he whipped around, wondering what kid had seen him, and then had the audacity to hit him with some of the late season snow. He gaped at what he saw, Jack Frost perched on his staff and looking inordinately pleased with himself while Jokul Frosti was sitting next to it and struggling with the tall boots he was wearing. 

“Gotcha!” Jack crowed, jumping up in the air and landing lightly next to his staff, claiming the crook ended piece of wood with a flourish. 

“Great – now if your done tormenting the Rabbit, help me get these goddamn straps undone – fucking shoes...” Jokul's grumblings were more than a little uncomplimentary even as his 'twin' laughed at him, giving another jaunty wave to Aster before leaning down and examining the endless rows of straps that seemed to hold the boots on, starting at the ankles and going all the way up to his knees. 

Aster had to admit, that paired with what seemed to be a pair of tight, black leather pants and the loose, dark blue poets shirt, it was a good look on the darker boy, and he looked much less fearling and more dark fae perhaps. There was still the tell-tale palor of his skin, but there could be any number of spirits with that coloration. 

“Man – I am glad that I got stuck with ankle booties rather than those monstrosities.” Jack's taunting words bought Asters attention to the snow sprite, who seemed to be dressed in a fur lined vest over a similar poets shirt, but in pale blue like his eyes, and dark brown pants that seemed only a little looser than Jokul's black ones. His feet were already bare, his toes curling in the loose patches of snow with what Aster could only assume was a form of pleasure. 

“Hey! You, with the dumbstruck look on your face!” Jokul's words were enough to once more bring Aster's attention back to him, and he glared at the fearling boy even as he continued to speak. “Think you could lend a hand? I'm just about ready to find something sharp and cut the damn things off.” 

“What... what are you two doing here?” Aster finally found his voice, moving over to the boys after checking that the area was mostly free of egg hunting sprogs. “Aside from apparently strippin down of course.” 

“Oh, we're not stripping down yet.” Jokul's lascivious tone made Aster blink, and Jack roll his eyes. 

“Escaping the Snow Court, obviously,” Jack stated, the grin on his face belying his words slightly. “I mean, geeze, can you believe the audacity? They took away my sweater and stuffed us in shoes of all torture devices. Classes here, protocol that, manners there – It was stifling.” 

“My cloak. I want my cloak back, or another one just like it.” Jokul grumbled, growling and flopping onto his back as he gave up on the straps in frustration. “Thats it – I need a knife. I'll just cut the damn things off at the ankle...” He matched actions to words, forming a blade out of shadow and using the ice sharpened edge to start sawing through the ankles of his boots. 

“Now wait just a moment!” Aster stated, his fur standing on end at the boy wielding a knife so close to one of the major arteries. “You'll hurt yourself if you do it that way! Crazy drongo!” 

He was all but growling as he pulled out his own blade, a little larger but quite a lot more reliable than the already dulling ice edge of the blade Jokul was using, and set to work on the boots, very careful as he cut away the bottom, starting at the ankle. This had the effect of freeing the boy's foot although the rest of the boot was still laces and straps from ankle to knee. Once one was off, Aster abruptly found the other in his lap even as Jokul leaned back, wriggling his toes with a look of pure bliss on his face. 

Considering that the look on the boy's face was far less innocent than it ought to be, it was a good thing that Jack chose that moment to dump a load of snow on his 'twin' and bring Aster back from the dangerous areas that his mind was wandering to. Shaking his head to clear it, he looked back to the task at hand, getting the other shoe modified and finding out exactly why the boys were here. 

“Let me get this straight, you ran away from the Winter Court...”

“Snow Court. There are apparently three courts for the winter season,” Jack provided, grinning as he perched next to Jokul, the darker one glaring and scowling at him darkly. 

“Right, Snow Court then. You ran away because they were putting you through classes and making you dress proper?” Aster knew his words were slightly incredulous, and his tone disbelieving, but he didn't try to keep that from leaking out because it would be a lost cause. 

“It was fucking stifling... they were everywhere, and the Snow Queen didn't want us out of her sight at all, unless she was going through her travel mirrors. If she wasn't with us, it was either the damn bear, or that stuffy-ass owl.” Jokul's words were a bitter counterpoint to Jack's laughter. 

“And if it wasn't them, it was being mobbed by brownies and ice sprites or aunts... apparently we've got over a hundred aunts. Did you know there were that many snow maidens? Apparently grandfather didn't, because he was just as disgruntled as we were when every one of them showed up to welcome us to the Snow Queens court.” 

Aster found himself chuckling even as both boys rolled their eyes and he pulled away the remnant of the cut up boot. Jokul's reaction was priceless, the boy shuddering and wriggling his toes, immediately plunging them into the same late season snow that Jack was standing on. 

“So, you ran away because there was too much attention on you?” Aster could sympathize actually, after being alone for a while it was hard to get used to company again, he had had similar problems adjusting to being a Guardian after his centuries of solitude. 

Of course, the answer to his question was two snowballs hitting him in the face, but it only made Aster laugh instead of being upset. “You're both right crazy little larrikins, aren't ya?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a little shorter than the other chapters... and leaves a few questions... but it does get this part mostly wrapped up to make way for Courting Spring, the second story in the series. 
> 
> I'm considering making the first chapter from the twin's povs about their couple months in the Snow Court. 
> 
> Also, there are three courts for winter, and three courts for summer. There are the Lawful Fae Court, the Unlawful Fae Court, and the Spirit Court. The Snow Queen rules the winter Spirit Court, which is kind of what it sounds like, a nitch for those who aren't lawful or unlawful, most of whom are categorized as spirits.
> 
> Oh, and for anyone curious, they're a little bit outside Burgess at the end, not really that far from Jack's lake and the entrance to the lair.


End file.
